Second Chances
by andrewjameswilliams
Summary: AU Fic. When the SDF-3 is destroyed by the Haydonites Admiral Rick Hunter and others are sent back in time to change history and the outcome of the Robotech Wars.
1. Prologue

_**Second Chances**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters that I am about to mangle around for my own amusement all Robotech characters remain the property of Harmony Gold and I make no profit from their use.**

**Authors Notes: Story events begin during the events of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles right after the Icarus commanded by Vincent Grant is forced to fold out of the omicron sector without the SDF-3. Updates for this story will be slow but before anyone complains I haven't forgotten about any of my fics and indeed I have plans in place to update one of my older fics soon assuming my muse continues to cooperate.**

* * *

_**Prologue**_

**SDF-3 Pioneer**

Admiral Richard 'Rick' Hunter had mixed feelings as he watched the _Icarus_ disappear into hyperspace with the powerless hulk of the _Deucalion_ attached to her belly. On one hand he was relieved that Vince Grant hadn't given in to sentimentality and aborted his ships space fold after the unknown alien vessel that the _Icarus_ had been engaged with collided with the SDF-3 and exploded – the force of impact and the concussive force of the close range detonation of the aliens reflex furnaces knocking them out of range of the _Icarus'_ fold sphere. With the _Icarus_ gone the fleet liberating – or attempting to anyway – Earth from the Invid hoard that had occupied their homeworld for nearly twenty years would get the warning about the neutron-s missiles and his amended orders that they were not to – under any circumstances – be fired at Earth lest they turn humanities long suffering homeworld into a black hole.

But on the other hand there was another part of him – a selfish part – that wished that Vince had stayed and tried again to rescue them. As it was Vince was doing his duty – as much as Rick knew it would pain his old friend to leave him behind knowing he was probably leaving him and everyone else on the SDF-3 to die – just as he would have done had their positions been reversed as it was imperative that the warning about the problem with the missiles be known. _If we get out of this I'm so going to have words with Ambassador Veidt about those missiles,_ he thought thinking about the Haydonite representative to the Sentinels Alliance, _and find out why the hell he didn't tell us that those missiles can create black holes. Though if they didn't tell us about that then what else haven't the Haydonites told us about the Shadow technology they've given us to fight the Invid? Is all of it flawed in some way? If it is why haven't the Haydonites said anything we are supposed to be allies after all? Aren't we?_

A familiar hand touching his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts and he looked over to see his wife former admiral turned ambassador to the Sentinels Lisa Hunter nee Hayes standing next to him. "What is it Rick," Lisa asked her husband softly having seen the look on his face, a look that screamed that Rick was disturbed by something at least to someone who knew what they were looking for.

"Just a thought," Rick admitted knowing better than to try hiding anything from Lisa. In the nearly forty years that he'd known her first as his superior officer and then as his fiancée and finally his wife he'd never been able to successfully keep anything from her so he wasn't about to try now. "The Haydonites didn't tell us that the neutron-s missiles can create black holes when detonated. If Emil hadn't noticed that the math wasn't quite adding up then we would never have done this field test and found out. If they didn't tell us about that then what else haven't they told us? Is there similar hidden flaws in all the technology they've given us over the last few years?"

Lisa frowned worriedly. "That's a nasty thought," she mused aloud though she could well see where Rick was coming from and truth be told now that she thought about it it made an uncomfortable amount of sense. "But what would the Haydonites gain by lying to us? We are supposed to be allies."

"Are we," wondered Rick aloud, "or are the Haydonites simply using us. With the Regent dead and his forces defeated the Regis and the other Invid on Earth are the last of their kind. Maybe the Haydonites are using us to eliminate them for them after all Ambassador Veidt indicated his kind have suffered heavily at the hands of the Invid in the past."

Lisa's frown deepened and she started to open her mouth to speak again. But before any sound could emerge there came a deep rumbling boom as if a million base drums were being struck at once and the SDF-3 shook violently as though gripped by an earthquake. Caught by surprise Lisa stumbled in the sudden loss of gravitational stability, only quickly grabbing the edge of Rick's command chair preventing her from tumbling to the deck as klaxons began wailing with an urgent clamour.

"Report," Rick ordered as gravitational stability returned though the command was largely unnecessary as they all knew depressingly well the feel of weapons fire striking the side of the ship.

"Admiral we're under attack," Lieutenant Ashley Price reported grimly from tactical. "I show nothing on my scopes but visual scan has picked up two alien vessels on approach bearing two, two, seven mark one, nine, three inclination point six five degrees. Configuration is identical to the alien vessel that fired upon the _Icarus._"

"Weapons status," Rick asked.

"Main weapons are still off line. We only have our anti-mecha turrets operational and the alien ships are out of their engagement range."

"Barriers?"

"Inoperative," Price replied grimly before her console came alive with a warning. "Incoming barrage."

Rick tapped a control on his command console. "All personnel brace for impact," he said the intercom relaying his voice throughout the whole seventeen hundred and twenty one meter length of the SDF-3 moments before another rumbling boom filled the air and the ship shook fiercely under the fire of their new and unknown enemy.

* * *

With searing white-hot force the salvo of brilliant red energy beams fired from the two warships – that unknown to the crew on the SDF-3 belonged to their erstwhile Haydonite allies – smashed into the thick armoured hull of the crippled battle-fortress. Immediately the blood coloured beams broke up, crackling along the hull like malignant lightning that aside from shaking the vessel fiercely didn't cause any damage.

Or so it seemed.

Carried by the particle beams a secondary energy pulse passed right through the hull of the SDF-3 and into the hundreds of miles worth of hyper-conductive conduits that transported massive quantities of power from the ships reflex furnaces to her many energy hungry systems. Automatic systems immediately began to react attempting to dissipate the excess charge as it shot through the system until it reached the reflex furnaces. Upon reaching the main power plant the charge immediately passed – as designed by its makers – through the Shadow dimensional shift field around the reflex furnaces and into the heart of the massive protoculture fuelled reactor cores. Once within the cores the charge of exotic energy fatally disrupted the systems that kept the reactions in the cores under control causing power levels to immediately shoot up into the red zone.

Klaxons wailed desperately in the ships engineering spaces as the reflex furnace control systems screamed there distress. But there was nothing anyone on board could have done to contain the massive power surge even if there had been time as the containment shells melted away allowing the internal fires of the cores to burst outward in a cataclysmic burst of heat and hard radiation that instantly vaporised the engineering spaces before any of the horrified engineering personnel could begin to react let alone attempt to flee.

Not that there would have been anywhere to flee to as the shockwave tore through the remaining portions of the SDF-3 shattering bulkheads, ripping decks and compartments apart. Stored fuel and munitions for destroids and all manner of veritechs began detonating as their own storage compartments shattered under the shockwaves assault the blasts merging together with the eruption of reflex furnaces.

Moments later the SDF-3 and the last protoculture matrix left in the universe blossomed briefly into a tremendous explosion that tore her completely apart.

* * *

**Somewhere Outside Space/Time**

Rick Hunter blinked and shivered as he suddenly found himself standing in nothingness. All around him was nothing but an endless white void. He looked around in confusion as the last thing he remembered was being hurled to the deck on the bridge as alarms screamed desperately a moment before everything turned to fire and pain then darkness. A sudden horrible thought gripped him as he began to get an inkling of where exactly he was.

"I'm dead aren't I," he said his voice echoing oddly in the void around him.

"I'm afraid so," an achingly familiar voice said from behind him, a voice that he hadn't heard in a very long time. Whirling around he found himself face to face with a tall blond haired man in a style of RDF flight suit that hadn't been used for nearly thirty years. A blond who was agonisingly familiar.

"Roy?"

"Hey little brother," Roy Fokker said with a grin before walking up and pulling him into a hug. Rick didn't resist instead he buried his head in Roy's shoulder and let himself be held.

"God Roy I've missed you," Rick said softly though he was proud that his voice didn't shake, didn't show any sign of the emotions welling up inside him. After a few moments he pulled back and gazed at his adoptive older brother.

"I've missed you to little brother," Roy replied smiling at the middle aged man his brother in everything but blood had become.

"So what now is this heaven," Rick asked. "And is Lisa here?"

"Yes she's here but someone else is talking to her," Roy answered. "And no this isn't heaven but more of a halfway house between life and death. As for why you're here well I've been asked to offer you a choice."

"A choice?"

"Yeah you see the manner of your death was a foreshadowing of the death of not just everyone else in the RDF but the entire human race," Roy explained. "And it won't stop there everyone who's ever used protoculture as an energy source will suffer the same fate. The Tirolians, the Karbarrans, the Invid the Haydonites will destroy them all. They'll have setbacks but with the protoculture matrix destroyed with your ship they're victory is now inevitable."

Rick felt sick as Roy talked about genocide on a truly galactic scale. "But why," he asked after a moment.

"Because the artificial intelligence that controls Haydon Five and which created the Haydonites to be its eyes and arms, the Haydonites refer to it as the Awareness, regards protoculture as a threat."

"Why?"

"Do you know where protoculture comes from little brother?" Roy asked rather than directly answer the question.

"Yeah it's made from an oil found in the Flower of Life. But what does that have to do with protoculture being a threat to the Haydonites?"

"Because the Flower of Life is a very unique plant Rick," Roy explained, "in all the universe there is nothing else like it, it is a true wonder of the cosmos. The reason being it's tapped into the space-time continuum at a level that allows it to trap minute amounts of zero point energy in its cell structure. When Zor created the protoculture matrix what he really did was find a way to extract, focus and amplify that stored energy."

"Wow."

"Yeah wow."

"So how is it a threat to the Haydonites?"

"Because while the Awareness does have its own means of extracting zero point energy it's much more clunky and inefficient with a much lower energy yield than what protoculture would produce if the technology to manufacture it was taken to its ultimate progression as the abilities of protoculture matrix you knew barely even scratched the surface of what protoculture can be. This is not a threat that the Awareness can tolerate especially as it ultimately plans to take control of as much of the universe as its servants can get their metaphorical hands on."

"Okay why?"

"That's complicated but suffice to say that the Awareness sees organic races like humans as flawed, inferior life forms worthy of only either servitude or death."

"If the Haydonites see organic life as inferior then why ally with us against the Invid?" Rick asked.

"You already know the answer to that one little brother," Roy replied wryly. "Or you suspect it at least, the Haydonites were never truly interested in an alliance. They were merely using you to eliminate their enemies for them, specifically the Invid who have clashed with the Haydonites – or the Children of Shadow as they call them – on more than one occasion in the past. They were hoping you would use the neutron missiles they provided you to eliminate both the Invid and humanity. Something that has not happened as the Regis recognised the missiles for what they were and destroyed them as she left Earth with her people."

"So Earth is free now?"

"Yes but it will not stay that way for long as even as we speak the Haydonites are moving against humanity as while they hoped you would be destroyed with the Invid the Awareness always has a back-up plan. All the technology the Haydonites provided to the expeditionary forces has – as you suspected – a fatal flaw that the Haydonites will use against humanity. As we speak a fleet of Haydonite warships is engaging the remains of the RDF at Space Station Liberty. Observe."

Roy made a hand gesture and suddenly the place around them changed and they were standing in open space. Off to one side was the imposing shape of Space Station Liberty with a mixed formation of Garfish and Ikazuchi-class warships arrayed in defensive formation facing a fleet of vaguely cylindrical red and grey vessels. As they watched the human ships opened fire with a vicious volley of reflex missiles and heavy particle beams, power enough to tear a fully shielded Zentraedi Nupetiet Vergnitzs-class command dreadnought apart in seconds.

The Haydonite ships barely noticed as a faint silvery sheen conformal to their hulls flared into existence absorbing the shots with ease. _Defensive barrier shields but way more advanced than what we have,_ Rick thought as he observed the tips of a number of the larger Haydonite ships open in a manner that reminded him somewhat of the firing booms of a reflex cannon opening. Only instead of unleashing a single massive blast of energy in the way of a reflex cannon each ship unleashed a hail of blood red energy beams. In moments they reached the Robotech warships and immediately ships began dying as struck vessels seemed to shudder momentarily then explode from within.

"My god," Rick breathed in horror wondering how on Earth the Haydonite weapons could do that as those warships had thick layers of refractive and ablative armour that should have blocked the beams not to mention the stealth field that should make targeting them impossible. _Though since the dimensional field is Haydonite technology it shouldn't be surprising they can see through it,_ he thought observing as blue-white bubbles of energy gathered at the front of several ships as they powered up for a synchro cannon bombardment. But once again the Haydonites were ready as a pulse of energy burst forth from their larger ships and washed over the human fleet.

The reaction was instantaneous. The blue-white bubbles of particle fusion gathering at the bows of the synchro cannon armed ships turned blood red and began pulsing dangerously. A second later every ship with an armed synchro cannon exploded with incredible violence. Thousands of lives vanishing in an instant.

"Turn it off," Rick said balling his fists and looking down. He knew many of the people commanding those ships, hell he'd appointed a lot of them himself, to see them dying being effortlessly torn apart by their erstwhile allies was just too much. Space vanished and he was suddenly in the white void again before feeling Roy's hand touch his shoulder. "Is that really happening Roy," he asked softly his voice choked with emotion.

"I'm afraid so little brother," Roy replied his heart aching as he could see how much it was paining Rick to see that slaughter. "If it is any consolation the Haydonite fleet attacking Liberty will soon be defeated when Captain Grant detonates the stations stockpile of neutron missiles after evacuating everyone to a colony ship."

"But it's going to only be a short reprieve isn't it," Rick said, "without the protoculture matrix there will be no way to refuel ships long term."

"Unfortunately yes and it's worse than you know. When the Invid Regis left Earth to take all her people with her at once she consumed the planets entire supply of protoculture. Within a year the Haydonites will return and Earth will be the first Sentinel aligned world to be destroyed."

"No," Rick muttered before looking up determination in his blue eyes. "There has to be a way to stop them. You wouldn't be showing me this otherwise."

"Your right I wouldn't be," Roy admitted, "there is one way that the Haydonites might be stopped but it will not be easy and it has its own pitfalls to negotiate if you choose to pursue it."

"Whatever it is I have to try," Rick answered determined. "What do I have to do?"

Roy sighed. "I've been given permission by the big boss upstairs to send you back in time," he explained, "right back to the beginning of the Robotech Wars so you have a chance but only a chance to change the outcome you just saw. You, your memories and knowledge as they are now would be integrated into your past self just before your arrival on Macross Island."

Rick blinked. "Why so far back," he asked.

"It would be your best opportunity to change history for the better and thwart the plans of the Awareness. I will tell you this though some events are fixed points in time, they cannot be changed no matter how much you might want to change them. You will know in your gut when they are you must resist the temptation to change the outcome for if you do then the consequences would be unimaginable."

"I'll do it."

"This is a great responsibility, one that will make your previous command at its worst look like a walk in the park. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"From what you've said big brother this is the only way to stop the plans of the Awareness and prevent our species from being exterminated. I have worked too hard and for too long to ensure a future for our people to step aside now and allow them to be wiped out by genocidal robots."

"Alright if you're sure."

"I am."

"Very well," Roy said with a proud smile on his face before he again waved his hand. Only this time instead of changing the whole region around them the gesture made a section of the air glow and ripple before a glowing white-blue vortex burst into existence. "Step into the portal it will transport you into the past. Oh and Rick?"

"Yes?"

"Try not to give the younger me too many heart attacks this time around alright?" Despite the seriousness of the discussion they'd been having – or perhaps because of it – the simple request rich with all the long suffering stress of an older sibling made Rick laugh.

"No promises big brother," Rick replied, "no promises I have to keep you on your toes after all. Younger brother's prerogative."

Roy laughed back. "Go on get out of here," he said pointing at the portable. "Oh and good luck."

"Thanks," Rick replied. _I think I'm going to need it,_ he thought before squaring his shoulders and walking resolutely into the portal which immediately snapped closed behind him leaving Roy standing alone in the white void.

But only for a few moments as Roy felt a familiar pair of arms come around him and a head come to rest on his shoulder. "Did she agree," he asked.

"When I showed her what was happening you bet she did," Claudia Grant said from where she was resting her head on his shoulder. "And I can see Rick agreed as well."

"You can bet he did," Roy replied them smiled. "I'm so proud of him Claudia."

"I know and so you should be," Claudia answered pulling back and turning him around to face her. "Now come on flyboy I believe you owe me dinner."

"Yes let's get out of here," Roy replied before pulling Claudia into an embrace before the two lovers turned angels faded out returning to their place in the heavens confident that whatever happened next, however the timeline changed it would be better than the one that currently existed.

It had to be.

* * *

**Authors Note: Well that's all for now. There will be three more people going back in time besides Rick Hunter though not to spoil things I won't say exactly who they are though I am sure everyone here can guess who some of them are.**


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

**Officers' Quarters**

**SDF-1**

**Macross Island**

Lisa Hayes awoke with a soft gasp. Sitting up she glanced around in confusion as the room around her while familiar wasn't the quarters that she'd shared with Rick on the SDF-3 since the day after their marriage. Instead these were her quarters aboard the old SDF-1 before she was destroyed by Khyron's last suicidal charge. How had she gotten here? Had something happened to the SDF-3? Was she dead and this some weird version of the afterlife?

Then she remembered.

Remembered being thrown away from Rick as the SDF-3 was hit by the energy weapons of the alien ships. Remembered fire enveloping them all amongst the shrieks of tearing metal as the ship fell apart around them, remembered being in a large white void and encountering Claudia. Remembered watching in horrified helplessness as the Haydonites tore the fleet at Liberty Station apart, and then being told as gently as possible by her friend the true plans of the cybernetic creatures and why they wanted to do it. Finally she remembered the offer Claudia had made to send her back in time to the beginning of the Robotech Wars with the hope of changing some of what happened and prevent that galactic genocide from coming about. She had of course accepted the offer as the Haydonites had to be stopped, though she had no idea how she was going to do it. When she'd asked Claudia the angel that her old friend had surely become had just smiled mysteriously and said that she'd find away and that she wouldn't be alone hinting that others would be transported back as well.

"It worked," she whispered as she looked around the room, it was just as it had been in the few hours before the ship had launched. She had only come aboard the day before and the room was only partially unpacked with most of her off duty clothes and personnel belongings still sitting in their transport containers.

Getting out of a bed that felt cold and lonely – she really missed the warmth and weight of Rick's body in the bed next to her – Lisa got her feet under her before grimacing at the thought of her husband. Was he one of the others being sent back in time? Despite appearances would he still be her beloved husband or would he be the same arrogant, cocky teenager that he'd been when she first met him. The teenager who'd had the cheek to call her a sourpuss to her face though she had to admit he had had a point as she'd been a right bitch back then obsessed with duty and protocol as a way of hiding from the world and the lingering pain of Karl Riber's death. _Or should that be now,_ she thought with another grimace before deciding that regardless of which Rick she encountered when he came to the island for the commissioning/launch ceremony – which would get so rudely interrupted by the Zentraedi – she would not continue to be the 'ice queen' she'd been to practically everyone save Claudia. It was time to show everyone the woman she really was and stop hiding, who knew if she was more open and more approachable then maybe Rick – if she just got the cocky teenager – would notice her sooner and be less inclined to chase after the unattainable woman in the form of one Lynn Minmei.

With that decision made she slipped out of her nightclothes and made her way into the bathroom for a shower.

* * *

**Sometime Later**

Lisa took a deep breath before stepping onto the bridge of the SDF-1 for the first time in what had for her been a couple of decades. The bridge was as expected a hubbub of activity as the crew prepared the ship for departure, while being completely unaware of the fact that within the next few hours they would enter into a war for survival against the forces of the Zentraedi, and she couldn't help but smile. But it turned bittersweet as she took in those crew who in the future hadn't been there like Kim Young, Sammie Porter and Claudia Grant all sitting – or in Claudia's case standing – diligently at their stations and discussing the upcoming launch.

"I hope the captain gets here in time," she said speaking from memory as she made her way to the flight operations station at the front of the bridge besides Claudia's station. "I hear he didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"A bunch of the other officers threw a fair well party for him they probably stayed up all night telling each other war stories you know how they are," Claudia answered looking over at Lisa and frowning slightly as she saw a change in her friends demeanour some of the wall of ice Lisa had built up around herself over the last few years, ever since her fiancée's death, had vanished. She wondered what had caused it but after a moment decided whatever it was it could only be a good thing as Lisa might finally start to remember that she was both a human being and a woman not a robot.

"So how did your date with Commander Fokker go last night Claudia," Lisa asked startling her as it was very un-Lisa to ask about her love life with the tall blond haired ace pilot. And how had Lisa known she'd gone on a date with Roy? Well not quite a date more a late dinner before they'd both turned in for the night.

"How did you," she started to say.

"Your quarters are next to mine," Lisa reminded her, "and the bulkhead is quite thin I heard you come back major late last night. I can only assume you spent some time with Commander Fokker."

_Oh crap, _Claudia cursed silently. "So what if I did you jealous?" she challenged as she expected Lisa to let rip about inappropriate behaviour when she had duty in the morning.

Lisa considered how to respond knowing what Claudia expected but deciding it would be somewhat hypocritical of her to criticise Claudia for taking whatever time she could get to be with the man she loved. She and Rick had done the same whenever they could in the future she'd come from. So she wouldn't rip Claudia a new one this time around. "More than you know," she whispered so softly that Claudia barely heard her before turning her full attention to her console re-familiarising herself with its layout and the fact that there were a lot more dials and switches than she was used to with far fewer of the touch screens and absolutely no holograms. It was almost quaint to see such an old fashioned control panel.

Claudia blinked in shock. _Did I just hear that? Lisa is jealous of the fact that I'm in a relationship with someone and she isn't?_ she thought shocked beyond words before grinning as she realised Lisa had crossed an invisible line and seemed to be willing to at last stop carrying the torch for Karl Riber and begin looking for a new man. A faint grin crossed her lips. _Well this will be interesting. Finding Lisa a boyfriend, just wait till I tell Roy. Hmm maybe I can hook her up with Vince though he does have his eye on that doctor friend of his so that might not be such a good idea. Oh well I'll find someone._

"Claudia," Lisa said warningly seeing the sly look appearing on Claudia's face out of the corner of her eyes and mentally kicking herself. She guessed Claudia was going to start playing matchmaker with various people on board the ship, not knowing that there was only one person Lisa wanted and he a) wasn't on the island yet and b) she wasn't even sure he would like her have memories of the future and the emotions that came with them.

"What Lisa," Claudia asked.

"Don't what Lisa me your planning on playing matchmaker aren't you," Lisa replied unaware that the conversation was drawing the attention of the bridge bunnies who were all looking over with interest startled at the change in behaviour they could see in their normal ice queen superior, all wondering just what had caused it.

"Would I do that?" Claudia asked her chocolate coloured features a mask of innocence.

"You want an honest answer to that," Lisa replied with a note of sarcasm in her voice further startling both Claudia and the bridge bunnies who weren't used to seeing this side of her personality.

"Okay who are you and what have you done with Lisa Hayes," Claudia asked before a bleeping sound from one of the consoles filled the bridge.

"Lisa unidentified aircraft approaching the island," Sammie reported before Lisa could answer Claudia prompting the time travelled woman to look down at her console even though she had a very good idea just who it was who was piloting the incoming craft.

"I see it Sammie," she replied before reaching up to the overhead part of the console and toggling the radio on. "Attention aircraft approaching on course one zero seven. Please identify yourself."

An achingly familiar voice responded immediately. "This is Rick Hunter, I have an invitation to attend today's ceremony. Invitation number two zero three."

Lisa barely had to check her console. "That's confirmed an invitation from Lieutenant Commander Fokker," she replied proud that her voice didn't waver or show any sign of the sudden surge of emotion deep inside at the thought that she might, just might, be soon reunited with her husband not that he would be her husband in this timeline as they legally weren't married now. "Follow course five seven for landing."

"Roger," Rick answered before signing off. _Well he's here,_ Lisa thought thinking of Rick. She supposed she would see soon enough if the Rick on that little incoming racer was her Rick in his younger self's body and not just the cocky, insubordinate teenager/young adult she'd first met. She hoped he was, prayed he was but if he wasn't then she would just have to deal.

* * *

**Mockingbird**

Rick sighed after he signed off with Lisa feeling more than a little sense of déjà vu at the conversation as it felt identical to the conversation they'd had the first time he'd come to this place back in the original timeline. After a few minutes of thinking about it and wracking his memory he realised that the conversation had been identical and he felt his heart sink a bit as a sudden fear gripped him that Lisa hadn't come back in time like he had, hadn't woken up this morning to find herself in her younger self's body in the same way he had.

"And I was so sure she would come back," he said softly to himself feeling more than a twinge of heartache at the thought that the next time she saw him Lisa wouldn't know who he was. Wouldn't remember the love they'd shared together or the heartache they'd shared when Lisa lost their unborn child due to the actions of that traitorous bastard Edwards. He'd been so sure from what Angel-Roy had said that Lisa would come back. Now it looked like she might not have and that was going to make his job that much harder though he could always woo her again as he had no intention of pursuing anything other than a friendship with Minmei this time around – as that was only a recipe for heartache – and he did have the advantage that he already knew what made her tick what she liked and disliked and so on. Though there would of course be the hurdle of Karl Riber to get over first.

Pushing aside the thoughts on Lisa he concentrated on his flying as he was approaching the air show taking place over the head of a delighted crowd of onlookers. The sight of the old VF-1 Valkyrie veritechs delighting the crowds with their flybys and aerial acrobatics bringing a smile to his face and for a moment he considered slipping in amongst them and trying to give Roy a heart attack as he had done the first time he'd done this. _Nah plenty of time to give him heart failure when he first puts me in the cockpit of one,_ he thought with a grin knowing that at this point in the timeline he was supposedly still a civilian pilot with no idea how to fly a fighter plane properly let alone one that could turn into a giant warrior robot at the literal flick of a switch. Until the Zentraedi showed up there was no need for him to show that he did know how to fly and fight in a veritech and indeed likely knew far more about it – and the advanced tactics and manoeuvres the changeable modes allowed – than Roy or any of the other current pilots did.

At the thought of the Zentraedi Rick grimaced even as he guided Mockingbird into a textbook perfect landing. He knew the first wave of Commander Breetai's fleet – including the Nupetiet Vergnitzs-class command ship – would emerge from space fold sometime in the next hour or two with the rest of the thousand ship strong fleet arriving shortly thereafter ready to begin their assault upon Earth. He had gotten used to the idea that the Zentraedi were his allies, he'd even counted some of them like Miriya and Exedore among his closest and dearest friends, to realise the next time they met they would not be friends and allies but enemies was hard. Very hard. But at this point in time he knew there was no way to stop war erupting with them as right now thanks to generations of conditioning by the Robotech Masters the Zentraedi had no concept or understanding of anything other than waging war and conquering or destroying entire planets.

He couldn't help but pity them for that.

Putting aside the thoughts of the Zentraedi and what little – if any – culture that they had at this point in the timeline he taxied his plane to a stop and popped open the canopy. _Damn forgot how hot it is here,_ he thought as he hopped out of the racer landing on the tarmac with a youthful energy and agility that had left him in the future. A grin split his face momentarily as he realised another good little fact about being biologically in his late teenage years again he had none of the aches and pains that you just had to get used to as you got older and began suffering from such annoying ailments as arthritis.

The grin turned into a smile as he heard the air show finish to the claps of the audience and he sauntered over grinning as he saw Roy leaving the speakers platform. "Hey Roy over here," he called out waving an arm and waving to indicate his position. From his place in the crowd Roy spotted him and grinned before hurrying over.

"Hi Rick," Roy said grinning as he approached his adoptive younger brother before pulling him into a hug. "Did you see the air show?"

"A bit of it," Rick admitted smiling before deciding to play along for a bit. "I admit your boys are pretty good pilots, not as good as I am of course but still pretty damned good."

Roy chuckled at the predictably confident response from his sibling. "Don't be so modest," he replied though also knowing it was probably true as Rick was an excellent pilot for a civilian if he could only entice him into the military he'd be one heck of a fighter pilot. "Though you don't have to brag to me Rick I know all about you winning the amateur flying competition last year."

"I've actually won it a few years in a row," Rick reminded him inwardly smiling as he slipped into his old banter with Roy, he'd so missed having him around to joke around with. "But then who's counting hey big brother."

"Not me but I was kind of busy fighting a war," Roy answered and was surprised when Rick merely nodded and didn't explode at him or call him a killer as he had done in the past. Frowning he looked his little brother over and noticed something strange Rick's body language was different than it had been the last time he'd seen him several months ago when he'd gone home on Christmas leave. There was a confidence there, a bearing that he'd seen before in senior officers the good ones anyway. It was almost like he was looking at Captain Gloval instead of his adoptive younger brother. Which triggered a hilarious mental image of Rick dressed up like the hard assed Russian pipe and all that drew a slight giggle from his lips.

"What," Rick asked hearing the snigger and wondering just what had caused it.

"Nothing," Roy replied shaking himself as they arrived at the side of one of the hangers where a cool drinks vending droid stood idle. Fishing in a pocket of his flight suit he took out some money. "You want a cola?"

"Sure," Rick agreed inwardly smiling at the first model of the droids he'd gotten so used to seeing trundling around but which paradoxically never seemed to be nearby when you actually wanted something. After Roy purchased two cola's he accepted one off him with a smile and a thanks. "Roy can I ask you something?"

"Sure what," Roy asked taking a swig of his cola.

"How would you feel if I said I was thinking of signing up?"

Of all the things Roy had expected Rick to say that was by far the most remote. He was so startled that he choked on his cola which produced quite an impressive spew of the frothy liquid. Rick couldn't help but chuckle at the reaction as he gave his big brother a metaphorical heart attack. _It's been thirty years for me and I've still got the knack for giving him heart attacks,_ he thought with a slight, mischief-filled smirk as Roy gasped and struggled to pull air back into his lungs before staring at him his expression so full of stunned surprise that Rick laughed out loud.

"W…what did you say?" Roy asked convinced he hadn't heard correctly. His younger "I'll never join the military because I don't believe in killing' brother couldn't be thinking about joining up could he?

"I'm thinking about joining up," Rick replied inwardly smiling as he enjoyed the incredulous reaction he was getting from Roy as he had been something of a pacifist when he'd really been the age he appeared to be. Though that hadn't lasted long after they'd gotten stuck out beyond the orbit of Pluto and had to spend the next two years fighting the Zentraedi to get back home to Earth. _I wonder if I can prevent that damned space fold this time,_ he thought, _or is it one of those fixed points that the Roy in that other space said about. Maybe I'll know closer to the time as he did indicate that I'd know when it was something that couldn't be changed._

"You sign up," the current incredulous Roy asked. "You Rick 'I'll never join the military' Hunter are actually thinking about joining up?"

"I'm thinking about it," Rick confirmed though he really had every intention of joining up with the RDF as it was only from there that he could really do anything to attempt to change not just the fate of humanity but the fate of all the Sentinel races as well.

"Your pulling my leg aren't you Rick?"

"I'm not pulling your leg Roy."

"You're serious?"

"As a fuel leak," Rick answered resisting the common response in the time he'd come from of 'as an Invid shock trooper' as that would have raised far more questions from Roy than he was willing to answer right now. Such as what an Invid shock trooper was.

Roy ran a hand through his thick blond hair in response. "Okay um… wow," he said. "Though that does kind of put the brakes on my plan to try and entice you to join the RDF."

"I didn't say I'd made up my mind yet big brother," Rick replied remembering how Roy had taken him to see a certain veritech fighter officially to show it to him but knowing Roy as a means to try and entice the reluctant teen he'd been that time around into joining the military.

"Well I'll have to see what I can do to convince you then," Roy answered grinning as he heard a faint note of challenge in Rick's voice. _Wait till you see your first veritech little brother it's so going to blow your mind and that's without knowing what they can really do,_ he thought. "Come on I've got something to show you little brother."

"Oh what," Rick asked playing along though he knew full well what it was Roy wanted to show him. _Boy is he going to be surprised when he finds out I already know how to fly one and operate all three modes,_ he thought inwardly grinning as he imagined the totally flabbergasted look that was sure to appear on Roy's face when he showed him just what he could do behind the controls of a veritech fighter.

"Come with me and find out." Without waiting for a further response Roy turned and began walking away towards where a trainer model veritech had been placed on the airstrip surrounded by a rope cordon for the public to view as part of the commissioning/launch preparations of the SDF-1. Rick shrugged and followed continuing to play alone knowing all too soon play time would be over as soon enough the Zentraedi would arrive.

And all hell would break loose.

* * *

**Deep Space**

**That Same Time**

Space between the orbits of the third and fourth planets of the Sol system was quiet, disturbed only by the passage of the occasional comet or asteroid as said bodies continued their eternal orbits around the unremarkable star that had brought life to this system. Beyond those periodic disruptions the region was quiet in complete contrast to the orbit of the third planet packed as it was with satellites of every description, the odd space station and increasingly over the last few year's spaceships.

Until now that was.

Sensors deployed on the barren, airless surface of Earth's moon in the last year or two whirred to life as they abruptly detected the appearance of multiple gravitational disturbances. The disturbances spread and strengthened until with a brilliant flash of light multiple spheres of energy appeared and faded revealing a fleet of starships. More flashes appeared and just as rapidly faded each flash leaving a dozen ships behind until within moments a thousand alien starships hung motionless in space.

To any observer it would have been immediately obvious that they were both built on a absolutely enormous scale with even the smallest vessels being bigger by far than any moving object built by human hands, and that they were clearly all warships. Weapons turrets and ports of all descriptions lined every surface of the green and purple armoured vessels, vessels that slowly but surely began to drift towards Earth.

* * *

**Zentraedi Command Ship**

"De-fold operations complete commander."

"Excellent," Commander Breetai responded to the report from one of his subordinates before turning his attention to the holographic screen that coalesced into existence in front of his command blister. Specifically at the blue, white, brown and green world that according to their finder beams housed the vessel that they had been searching for so diligently for the last few years. Which struck him as being somewhat strange as this planet was deep in the unknown regions of the universe, far off the beaten tracks so to speak, and showed no sign of possessing anything like the technology needed to hide let alone repair a Robotech ship.

"The finder beam has locked onto this planet Exedore," he commented to the shorter Zentraedi standing next to him in the command blister who like him was examining the primitive looking world with mild interest. "Are we sure this is where the signal we picked up originated?"

"Yes sir I'm positive," Exedore replied.

"They might have executed a re-fold," Breetai mused aloud knowing that was a common – and very effective – tactic to evade pursuit. Which was what the traitors would have wanted to do had they been able to that was. He certainly would have done it in their position as would any other Zentraedi commander.

"It's doubtful sir," Exedore answered with assurance in his tone. "We detected no sign of a second jump into hyperspace."

"They couldn't have travelled much further in the condition they were in anyway. They would have had to land in order to repair the ship."

"A logical step sir yes."

"Hmm," Breetai mused before deciding to investigate the planet just to make sure the ship was or wasn't here just as Dolza would have wanted him to do. "Dispatch a scout team."

"Yes commander," came the response from one of the crew on the main control deck beneath the command blister.

* * *

Silent as ghosts, deadlier than any natural predator two of the smallest vessels in the fleet of Zentraedi warships broke away from the armada and began a cautious approach to the planet. The movement instantly registering on the array of sensors and telescopes being trained towards the fleet by the denizens of the planet below.

* * *

**United Earth Defence Command**

**Alaska Base, Alaska, United States**

**That Same Time**

Admiral Donald Hayes was almost out of breath as he raced into the main situation room of Alaska Base in response to an urgent summons. He had been relaxing in his chalet in the surface part of the base, watching the press coverage of the festivities taking place on Macross Island – and wishing he could be there to both tell Lisa how proud he was of his little girl and try yet again to convince her to accept a posting anywhere other than a rebuilt alien vessel that still contained far too many unknowns for his tastes – when he'd been paged to come to the situation room immediately.

"What is it," he demanded stepping up onto the command platform and walking to the front to look down on the main floor of the bustling room.

"Admiral early warning sensors on the moon reported a number of gravitational distortions between the orbits of Earth and Mars. We are now detecting multiple large objects, probably spaceships, holding formation at those coordinates," one of the operators reported.

"How many," Donald demanded wondering if this was the invasion that they'd long feared was coming. _Damn it we're not ready if it is,_ he thought, _the Grand Cannon is nowhere near complete yet, none of the orbital battle stations or laser satellites are built yet and we only have half the space fleet we hoped to have._

"Tally one thousand individual contacts sir," another controller reported sounding utterly astonished by what he was saying, "alien vessels range in size from approximately one thousand, two hundred and fifteen meters to four thousand meters long."

"Big bastards," someone behind Donald muttered and he nodded in agreement a moment before an alarm sounded.

"Admiral two of the alien vessels are breaking away from the main fleet and are advancing towards Earth. The rest of the fleet is holding position."

"Must be a scout force to test our response and defences. Order the fleet to move to intercept but do not engage until I give the order. And alert Captain Gloval we may need to send the SDF-1 into combat sooner than we intended."

"Aye sir."

_Why did they have to show up now,_ Donald thought grimly gazing up at the big screens some of which were showing the bulk of the alien armada holding a very tight and well-ordered formation in the space between Earth and Mars. Others showed the two alien warships, odd flat delta shapes made of a dull green metal that had broken away from the main force and which were now heading towards Earth at high speed. Still more showed their own ships beginning to move away from their assigned patrol positions to intercept the incoming ships before they could reach the atmosphere. _At least Russo isn't here to breath down my neck and demand to know what they want as if I'd have known,_ he thought thinking of Senator Gerald Russo the chair of the United Earth Defence Council and one of the principal architects behind the creation of the United Earth Government.

Right now the fat and pompous little man was on Macross Island attending the launch festivities of the SDF-1 and trying to score political points for his upcoming re-election campaign. Donald himself had little patience for the fat bastard though he had no choice but to work with him and try and curb some of the man's more hair brained ideas and try and keep things on track which wasn't easy given the contacts the other man had. _No doubt he'll come running back to the bunkers here when he learns alien starships are in the system,_ he thought knowing for all his big talk Russo was at heart a coward, _which means I better enjoy what peace I can while it lasts. Hopefully the aliens will be content to just give us a once over and leave then we can get back to building our defences._

* * *

**Military Base**

**Macross Island, South Pacific**

Roy Fokker resisted the impulse to smile as he watched his little brother examining the VF-1D Valkyrie sitting on the concrete airstrip with a critical eye that only pilots, jewellers and doctors really possessed. Rick was clearly entranced by the beautiful machine but at the same time there was something there, something that like the odd military-like confidence in his brothers bearing that was strange. A familiarity that was puzzling as if he didn't know better he would assume that Rick had seen and visually inspected a Valkyrie before.

"So you like it," he asked.

"She is a beautiful machine," Rick replied honestly and meant it as the Valkyries were amazing machines and while they're capabilities and armaments weren't as extensive as on later generation veritech fighters like the VFA-6 Alpha or VFB-9 Beta they were still impressive machines and a quantum leap above anything Earth had fielded in a fighter before. Even the F-22 Raptor and Eurofighter Typhoon paled in comparison to the power and versatility of the Valkyries, such was the nature of the technological windfall made possibly by the advent of robotechnology.

"That she is," Roy agreed. "Do you want to have a crack at flying her?"

"You'd really let me," Rick asked with an excitement that wasn't entirely feigned as it had been awhile since he'd really flown a veritech – not since that bastard Edwards nearly killed Lisa injuring her seriously enough that she'd not only lost their baby but had come within a literal hairs breath of dying. Which had also resulted in Lisa being unable to attend her duties as the head of the Pioneer Expedition which had led to him taking her place as not only the head of the expedition but as the commanding officer of the SDF-3.

"Of course," Roy replied with a grin. "Let me just go and clear it with the control tower – shouldn't be a problem – and then I'll hop in the back and we can take her up. Why don't you hop in the cockpit while I go do that and get a feel for the controls? You'll find they're a bit different to on your fanjet."

"Sure," Rick answered before climbing into the front cockpit seat and smiling down at Roy who smiled back before heading off to get them clearance to go flying. Turning his attention back to the cockpit Rick reached down a picked up the helmet and slipped it on before examining the fifty-seven different controls that there were in the cockpit making sure everything was exactly where he remembered it being.

It was.

He had just finished when the sudden whirring of very powerful motors coming from the direction of the SDF-1 caught his attention. Looking over he watched as the bow of the battle-fortress began to split open into two booms that then rotated forty-five degrees giving the front of the ship the appearance of a tuning fork. Even from here he could see massive rippling arcs of pure power crackling along the inner surface of the booms before snapping together filling the tuning fork with continuous lightning-like forks of yellow-white plasmatic energy that grew ever brighter and more numerous as a phenomenal build-up of energy occurred.

"It's happening again," he whispered softly as the power levels of the arming reflex cannon continued to build up towards critical density at which point the cannon would fire. "Just like it did before."

He wished there was something he could do to stop the automatic firing of the SDF-1's main gun, something to override the programming Zor and his followers had left behind on the ship, but there was nothing he could do. To have a chance he would have to get to the ships original computer core in one of the sections they'd never gotten into in the original timeline and hope he remembered enough from his talks with Cabel and Rem to override the Tirolian programming. And that would take too long plus even if he could get there in time experienced eyes informed him that the power build up was already at critical density.

A fact that was proven a moment later as with a roar like an angry god the reflex cannon discharged unleashing a coruscating beam of purest destruction that instantly incinerated part of the city and demolishing a chunk of the rim of the ancient volcanic caldera in which the city was built as it shot towards the heavens for a deadly and fated rendezvous. Rick sighed softly to himself as he knew full well what the beams targets were and what the consequences of that one blast would be.

The first shot of the First Robotech War had been fired.


	3. Chapter Two

**Second Chances**

**Note on changes (14/10/2013): The last two sections of this chapter were changed after a few people on spacebattles commented that Claudia and Roy were a bit too accepting of events and circumstances. After careful thought on the matter I agreed and with some feedback from other writers I've modified the two scenes in question.**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Beach**

**Macross Island, A Few Minutes Earlier**

Maximillian Sterling sighed softly to himself as he sat on the thin strip of white sand that formed the only beach to be found anywhere on Macross Island. Normally the beach would have been packed with people coming out here from the city and enjoying the sun, sand and surf of their own little tropical paradise. But not today. Today everyone in town was busy attending the festivities at the commissioning ceremony of the SDF-1 leaving the beach deserted save for the odd crab and a few seagulls.

Which suited him just fine.

Since waking up this morning to find himself inside his own younger self's body in his old bedroom he'd been trying to figure out just what had happened. The last thing he remembered was being with Miriya on one of the SDF-3's main flight decks as they and the engineers worked overtime to get the fighter launching systems back online. They hadn't been having much luck as the disastrous neutron-s missile test really having done a number on them as well as on the rest of the ship. He remembered the ship shaking fiercely as they came under attack from some unknown assailant and being thrown hard against a parked veritech. There had been a shriek of tearing metal followed by a flash of heat and flames then nothing but a strange white void.

Something had happened there in that white void he knew it but for some reason he couldn't quite remember it, he'd talked to someone he knew he had but couldn't remember just who that had been or what they'd exactly talked about He faintly remembered walking into a portal thing…then suddenly waking up here. Or rather back here in the past and merged into his younger self.

If that hadn't been surprising enough he'd woken up in a bed that was cold and lonely with no sign of his beloved Miriya anywhere. He couldn't help but wonder was she back here in the past as well and if she was had she been merged into her younger self just like he had? That thought was deeply troubling as if she had been he knew she'd be waking up aboard a Zentraedi warship somewhere in deep space and presumably full sized as well as opposed to the micronized form she'd been in for more than thirty years.

While he knew Miriya was a very tough cookie and very resourceful he worried how she'd cope, how she'd survive on a warship surrounded by fellow Zentraedi who hadn't yet been influenced by Terran culture in any way. If she wasn't careful she'd stick out like a sore thumb among her peers and draw far too much unwelcome attention especially from Commander Azonia. He shuddered to think what would happen, what Dolza and the others would do to her if she wasn't careful. _I wish I could go and find her,_ he thought, _somehow micronize her and bring her back home with me._ Sadly there was nothing he could do and that was both infuriating and terrifying. All he could do for her was hope and pray that she was alright and that she would eventually be able to find her way back to him.

And then there were his little girls. Girls who didn't exist yet except in his heart and in his memory. Knowing that neither Dana nor Maia existed yet, and realising that unless Miriya was careful and eventually got back to him they might never exist, was even harder than at least suspecting his wives circumstances. For all that they really drove him up the wall sometimes he loved them and cherished them as the gifts they were.

"Will I ever see them again," he asked himself softly seeing the ghost images of their faces before his eyes for a moment and feeling like crying. _Stop it Max,_ he told himself firmly, _this isn't helping. You're a soldier and your back here in the past for some reason. Start thinking about what that reason might be instead of dwelling on what you've lost._

Which was easier said than done as while the part of him that was Colonel Sterling ace veritech pilot and CAG of the SDF-3 wanted to figure out why he was in the past, what his mission here was. The other part of him that was just Max husband and father just desperately missed his wife and his beautiful, if incredibly wilful daughters.

A sudden roaring sound and the screams of distressed seagulls suddenly split the air and shut both sides of his nature up. Standing up he looked around for the source of the distressing nose and froze at what he saw.

Off to the east an eye searing bright lance of yellow-white energy sheathed in a crackling aura of ionised atmosphere was streaking up into the sky heading for space. Experienced blue eyes recognised the discharge easily, he'd seen it too many times over the course of his military career to mistake it for anything other than the blast of a reflex cannon. And since there was only one working reflex cannon on the entire planet at this time, not to mention only one here on the island, he knew precisely where it was coming from and what had caused it to power up and fire.

_How could I have forgotten today was the day the first of the Robotech Wars began,_ he thought a moment before the beam cut off leaving a perfectly straight tube of vacuum in the air. But only for a moment as nature abhorred such things and air raced with near hurricane force to fill the void with a harsh crack of noise. It was all he could do not to be bowled over by the sudden but short lived strong wind.

Silence returned with only the faint roar of the crashing ocean breakers filling the air the birds having all vanished. But it wouldn't last long he knew, soon the Zentraedi would come and turn this peaceful island into a war zone as they tried to take the SDF-1 and recover the protoculture matrix hidden aboard her. At the knowledge that the Zentraedi would soon respond to the reflex blast with an invasion of battle pods he felt the soldier in him come to the fore.

_I have to go and help them but I can't well go marching onto the military base and demand a veritech now can I as I'm supposed to be a civilian,_ he thought as he started up the beach to the promenade where he'd left the bike he'd used to come out here chained to a convenient lamp post. _But I can help the civilians get to the emergency shelters and make sure a certain Chinese teenager doesn't sneak back to her place to get her diary of all things,_ he thought a mental picture of Minmei flashing through his head along with the memory of Rick telling him once why Minmei had come back into the city after being ordered to evacuate after the initial Zentraedi air attack.

Rick.

A faint smirk appeared on Max's face as he thought about his old friend/commanding officer and somewhat mentor who'd forged him from a talented but inexperienced pilot into the ace he was. He wondered if Rick had also been sent back into the past and merged into his own younger self. It would be nice if he was as at least then he'd have someone to talk to about his own situation and maybe Rick would know what they were supposed to do here. _One things for sure if he is here then the Zentraedi are going to get a very unpleasant shock,_ he thought knowing though Rick had gotten somewhat out of practice in the last few years – what with being an admiral and all – he was still one of the best combat pilots the RDF had ever seen. And while his younger self's body wouldn't have the muscle memory to use those skills to their fullest Rick would still be able to lay down a world of hurt on the Zentraedi pilots.

Reaching his bike he unchained it from the lamp post and hopped on. As he began peddling furiously back to the city and wishing he had a cyclone to ride instead or even a basic non-Robotech motorcycle instead of a peddle bike he thought about the looks that would appear on the faces of Roy Fokker and the other VT pilots if Rick showed them up. It would be amusing to see. After a moment he shrugged and turned his attention to thinking how he was going to help with the evacuation of the city before Zentraedi battle pods showed up to half wreck the place. He knew it wouldn't be easy but he'd manage.

After all it was the only thing he could do now.

* * *

**A Few Moments Earlier**

The beam from the SDF-1's reflex cannon was almost like a living entity, an entity made out of pure energy, as it streaked towards space. Atmospheric molecules in and around its path simply split apart into their constituent atoms and flashed to plasma, any particles of matter in its path simply vaporising as it powered its way upwards with unstoppable, irresistible force.

In moments it broke through the bonds of Earth's atmosphere, shot past the startled ships of Earth's fledgling space navy and smashed into the first of the two Zentraedi ships with white hot force. Armour boiled away instantly allowing the beam to cut into then through and out the other side of the vessel whose sizes bulged outwards as the entire ship began to melt from the inside out. Even as its first victim began dying being consumed by massive secondary and tertiary explosions the beam continued on. The second ship was hit within moments of the first and suffered the same fate as the beam cut right through it as if its hull was made of paper and not a metallic alloy stronger than anything known to Earth science.

The beam shut off leaving behind the gutted, dying wrecks of the two unfortunately Zentraedi cruisers. Both of whom vanished inside expanding fireballs of light and energy as the residual energies of the beam and their own fuel and weapons stores conspired together to annihilate them. In moments the blasts faded leaving nothing of the two ships beyond a spreading, cooling cloud of plasma and a few torn metallic fragments no bigger than your average playing card.

* * *

**United Earth Defence Command**

**Alaska Base, Alaska, United States**

Gasps of shock and awe filled the main situation room as a massive beam of energy tore into the two approaching alien warships and utterly annihilated them with an ease that was as incredible as it was terrifying. It was a demonstration of power on a scale far beyond anything humanity had ever thought possible in the real world, let alone achieved. Like everyone else the speed and power of the two alien vessels destruction had stunned Donald Hayes into silence.

After a moment he mentally shook himself out of his dazed state. "What the hell was that," he demanded. "Where did that energy beam come from?"

His words spurred the situation room personnel back into action breaking the awed spell that had fallen upon the room. "Admiral our satellites confirm the beam originated from the SDF-1 on Macross Island," one of the staff reported. "Ground scans are now showing a change in the islands topography, a sizeable chunk of the caldera rim has been annihilated just like the alien ships were."

"Communications contact the SDF-1," Donald ordered firmly. "Find out why the hell they opened fire without orders."

"Aye sir," one of the junior ratings acknowledged a moment before an alarm went off drawing everyone's attention.

"Report."

"Admiral our lunar sensors are reporting movement among the alien fleet. Satellite observatories confirm that they'd begun moving towards Earth but they're moving much more slowly than the first two and are keeping to a mutual support formation," another operator reported. "We're reading multiple small craft leaving many of the alien ships, computer labels them as fighter craft of some kind."

"Damn it," Donald cursed looking up at the overhead high resolution screens showing ladar, thermal, gravitic and other sensor information on the massive alien armada. The alien fleet was clearly moving trailing streams of hot ions as they accelerated towards the planet though computer projections of their course showed that the capital ships appeared to aiming to slip into the Lagrange point between Earth and the moon which put them well out of range of any Earth based weapon except possibly those on the SDF-1. Though if that was the case and the SDF-1's highly advanced and powerful weapons could reach the aliens from the ground then it stood to reason that the aliens could also fire at the planet from that altitude.

"Admiral we've gotten a response from the SDF-1. They report that the appearance of the alien ships activated a previously undetected protocol in the ships computers causing the ships main cannon to power up and fire upon the aliens regardless of the crews attempts to abort the firing sequence," a communications rating reported. "Captain Gloval believes it was a booby trap."

_A good explanation,_ Donald thought before glancing at the closing fleet of alien warships. _We don't have a choice now do we? We've been played for fools by whoever sent that ship here._ "We don't have a choice. Order our fleet to move to intercept and engage the aliens. They must not reach planetary orbit."

"Aye sir. First units will engage the enemy in less than three minutes."

"Understood."

* * *

**Zentraedi Command Ship**

**A Few Minutes Earlier**

Commander Breetai stared at the holographic screen showing the burning wreckage of their two scouts in shock and amazement. The reflex beam that had destroyed those two warships had been brighter and more focused than any reflex beam he'd seen before in all his many centuries of life. It was another demonstration of why the Dolza and the Robotech Masters wanted Zor's flagship to be recovered intact. It was also very dramatic proof that the ship was indeed on this little blue and green planet.

"Look at that," he commented to Exedore as the light of the blasts faded leaving nothing remaining of the two destroyed vessel or the hundreds of Zentraedi who'd just died with them. "Now we know that the ship is on that planet."

"It appears so commander," Exedore agreed as the proof was both quite dramatic and quite undeniable. Zor's ship was definitely here.

"All ships advance but exercise extreme caution," Breetai ordered. "Commence primary fighter launches."

"Yes commander," came the response from the consoles on the level below.

Breetai turned his attention to the holographic display again as a faint vibration began to be felt in the deck as the ships main engines came to life again and they began to advance towards the planet. For a few minutes nothing more happened, no more fire came up from Zor's ship to meet them which was somewhat surprising. None of his own ships had reflex cannons as Dolza tended to keep the reflex cannon equipped ships with his Main Fleet, which meant the rebels on Zor's ship had the advantage of superior range. So why weren't they exploiting it? He would have in their place as would any other Zentraedi commander with an ounce of sense.

"Commander incoming missiles."

The sudden report startled Breetai out of his contemplation of the puzzling behaviour of the crew of their target. "What!" he exclaimed looking up at the holographic tactical displays in surprise which showed a whole barrage of projectiles closing in on his fleet's vanguard. The barrage of anti-ship ordinance was sizeable he noticed and would definitely destroy a number of his ships but it was too small to destroy them all.

The first of the missiles began impacting the leading ships of his forces and it was immediately obvious that the missiles weren't normal anti-capital ship ordinance. Instead of immediately destroying ships the impacts of the missiles seemed to do very little in the way of damage only blowing off hull plates, sensor and communications antenna and a few of the more exposed weapons mounts. It was absurdly primitive but still brutally effective as several ships fell out of formation trailing atmosphere, bodies and wreckage from multiple large hull breaches.

"Very heavy resistance sir," Exedore commented as the last few missiles struck the vanguard and apparently causing lucky hits on one ships spine as the vessel began breaking apart.

"Yes but why are they using such primitive weapons," Breetai agreed honestly bemused by this turn of events. If Zor's followers had launched those missiles then they should have used far more advanced warheads than those which seemed to be simple sub-nuclear explosives. At very least they would have used missiles equipped with plasma warheads if not reflex warheads not something as crude as what those missiles had to have been equipped with. "Our vanguard has broken through."

"It is puzzling," Exedore replied as confused by the developments as his superior was.

"Commander Breetai two alien space cruisers are approaching. They may be the ones who launched the missile bombardment," one of the crew monitoring sensors reported.

Breetai glanced at the holographic screens again which now showed two small alien vessels approaching, they were simple boxy things and like the earlier missiles absurdly primitive. It was almost insulting that they actually thought they could challenge the might of the Zentraedi. _Time to show them otherwise as well as teach them the price of attacking us,_ he thought.

"Blast them to bits," he ordered before watching as a storm of blue particle beams lanced out at the two alien cruisers which immediately began to manoeuvre to evade and made no attempt to return fire. "They behave like they don't even know how to use their own weapons. Full barrage all forward cannons."

Again he watched as particle beams lanced out and pummelled both alien ships with dozens of beams each. Within moments one of them exploded as its reflex furnaces were sliced open. The other immediately began to list and drift away as it was holed in multiple locations. _Pathetic,_ Breetai thought contemptuously.

"Enemy cruisers disabled commander and we have determined the surface coordinates of Zor's vessel."

"Show me."

A new hologram appeared in the projector field showing a small island on the surface. The image zoomed in to reveal what looked like a city arranged in a primitive grid fashion with no understanding how to protect such a location from an orbital strike. "What a disorderly arrangement these people are completely ignorant of proper space war tactics," Breetai mused aloud before the image zoomed in again to something that startled him more than anything else they'd seen so far.

Zor's vessel was sat on the surface but it no longer looked like a standard Tirolian border battle fortress. Massive additional superstructure had been added and the arrangement of the main drives had changed from before. "That's Zor's battle fortress but what's happened to it," he asked aloud.

"It appears to have been completely remodelled presumably by the planets inhabitants. Maybe it crashed on their world and they were able to salvage it," Exedore speculated aloud.

"What about the crew they wouldn't just let them have it?" Breetai objected knowing even those Zentraedi loyal to Zor wouldn't have just let aliens take over their vessel no matter how badly damaged it was by a crash.

"They may have been killed in the crash."

"The ship would have had to have been very badly damaged by the impact for that to occur. And I doubt these primitives would have the technology to repair the vessel."

Exedore resisted the impulse to roll his eyes at that response knowing how arrogant his kind had been getting over the last few generations. And how dismissive they were of mere micronians – though they never dared show disrespect to the Robotech Masters as that would be a death sentence for the offending Zentraedi. "Maybe not but we cannot afford to take any chances here commander," he pointed out. "It remains a Robotech vessel and that means they have access to…"

"Reflex weaponry as we've already seen," Breetai finished for him and appreciating the reminder from Exedore that they had to be cautious here. "It matters not we have our orders to recover the ship and we will do so. Dispatch fighters to secure air supremacy and then send down our first round of ground troops. Ready guns for covering bombardment."

"Yes commander."

* * *

**Bridge**

**SDF-1, Macross Island**

Commander Lisa Hayes felt like screaming in frustration as she scanned her console and reported to Captain Gloval just what the main cannon had been firing at. She had hoped with her superior knowledge of the ships systems, not to mention the knowledge of Tirolian computer systems gained from living on and in orbit of Tirol for nearly twenty years, that she would be able to override the programme left in the ships computer by Zor's followers. As that would have given them at least a chance of getting off on a better foot with the Zentraedi and through them the Robotech Masters than they had the first time around.

Unfortunately fate seemed to have had other ideas.

She hadn't even been able to get even basic access to the offending program let alone the full access she'd have needed to either override it or better erase it before the reflex cannon had enough power built up for a full strength beam to be generated. So far everything was proceeding exactly as she remembered it proceeding the first time around. Which was more than a little frustrating and underscored just how difficult the task facing her was.

Now just like the last time around they were receiving the reports of the damage being sustained by their orbital forces. Armour Two was gone blown to bits by the main cannons of Commander Breetai's command dreadnought and Armour Ten was dead in space with severe damage. And now Zentraedi Gnerl fighters were heading for the atmosphere they would be here very soon.

"Armour Two is destroyed and Armour Ten is severely damaged sir," she reported reluctantly to Captain Gloval knowing how much the Russian officer wouldn't want to hear it. "Space monitors report alien fighters inbound to our location. ETA four minutes."

Sitting in his command chair and leaning over fingers on his lips Henry Gloval sighed in a mixture of dismay and resignation. "I had hoped this moment would never come in my lifetime we finally achieve peace on our planet and now we face obliteration by alien forces whose power is beyond our comprehension," he mused loud enough for them all to hear. Lisa found her heart aching for him especially as he had no idea how right he was and that the Zentraedi were far from the biggest threat they would ever face.

"I had hoped that war was a thing of the past that we were going to enter a golden age of peace and prosperity, but here we go again," he continued before sitting up resolutely reminding Lisa why she'd respected him so much as both a superior officer and a friend. "Alright move out."

"Yes sir," Lisa acknowledged before settling into the job of scrambling the veritechs and drone fighters to intercept the incoming Zentraedi fighters. "All forces move out. We are under attack by alien invaders in sector four one two. This is not a drill, repeat, this is not a drill. All forces move out and proceed in battle formation." Immediately veritechs and Ghost drone fighters began scrambling in response to her orders and moving to intercept the incoming hostile fighters.

An almost forgotten voice came over the radio. "Skull squadron ready to launch," Commander Roy Fokker said formally. Lisa couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face she heard that voice as she'd missed having Roy around and she knew Rick had missed him terribly though even thirty years after his death Rick had still found it painful to talk about his adoptive older sibling. _Hopefully he won't die this time,_ she thought.

"Skull squadron clear to launch," she replied and watched as Skull began to launch to engage the incoming hostiles. The last of the squadron had just lifted off when she heard a whoosh of rocket exhaust as pepper-box defensive missile launchers on the dorsal surface of the ship loaded with the very latest in anti-fighter and anti-missile weaponry launched their first salvo of interceptor missiles. Moments later the first of the surviving Zentraedi missiles began landing around them the concussion of the blasts sending a faint vibration through the ship.

"That was close," Claudia commented.

"It was," Lisa agreed before looking back at the console and seeing a single veritech sitting in the middle of the exhibition grounds. A quick check of the external surveillance cameras showed a familiar reddish-orange jumpsuit in the front part of the cockpit and she felt momentarily light headed. Rick.

For a few moments she considered not contacting him and basically steamrolling him into battle the way she'd done last time but something told her she needed to and that the response she'd get would tell if it was her Rick sitting in that veritech or just a cocky inexperienced teenager. Feeling as though someone was holding her intestines in an icy grip but hiding it expertly she changed channels to call the veritech in question.

* * *

**Rick's Veritech**

Rick resisted the impulse to fidget as he waited for the call to come in from the bridge of the SDF-1, the call that would send him into the battle with the Zentraedi. The ace veritech pilot in him was chomping at the bit to get going, to get up there and start fulfilling his soldier's duty to protect the civilian population. And as Zentraedi missiles began landing all around – the explosive plasma warheads turning large sections of the main runway and exhibition grounds into a very good approximation of the surface of the moon – the urge to take off and join the fight became almost irresistible. Only the fact that he was currently unarmed enabling him to resist that sirens call.

_Come on Lisa,_ he thought wincing as the veritech trainer shuddered with the shockwave of a nearby detonating missile. Seemingly in response to his thought the comm. screen – which for some reason he'd never been able to understand always seemed to be included in veritech fighters – came on and his helmet speakers crackled to life. "This is SDF-1 Control to VT One Zero Two why haven't you taken off," Lisa said in a firm voice but there was something in her eyes, a longing as she looked at him and with a jolt he realised the truth. He wasn't the only one here in the past and inside the body of his younger self.

Lisa was here as well.

A profound sense of pure relief and joy washed over him and he suddenly felt an invisible weight slide off his shoulders. But how did he let her know that he was here as well on a comm. channel that would be heard by everyone on the bridge of the SDF-1, which would only cause distraction and confusion. Which in battle could easily prove to be fatal.

"VT 102 can you read me," Lisa asked.

Rick flicked the switch to transmit. "I can hear you Lisa," he replied deliberately saying her first name as opposed to using her military rank hoping it would convey just who he was. By the way her eyes lit up in joy Rick knew he'd been successful. "I would take off," he continued, "but I'm currently unarmed."

"Oh well we'll see what we can do about that," Lisa answered her business mask slipping back over her face. He saw her touch a control on the distant bridge. "A ground crew will be over to load you up now. Launch as soon as you're able to and join the squadrons engaging the enemy. Be advised runway two remains clear of damage at this time."

"Roger control," Rick acknowledged knowing that the mask of the professional soldier he'd been for the last thirty-five years of his life was sliding over his face. A glance out the canopy showed the ground crew had arrived and were efficiently beginning to arm the veritech for battle.

"Rick be careful," Lisa added so softly that he could barely hear her. He just nodded back to assure her that he would be careful as while he had fought the Zentraedi many times in the past he knew not to take them lightly. Though he did have a slight advantage in the fact that he was fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the Gnerl fighter pod and just what to do to counter those strengths and exploit the weaknesses. Lisa signed off just as a knock came on the canopy and he opened it slightly for the crew chief to speak.

"You're ready to go sir, good hunting," the chief said.

"Thanks," Rick acknowledged before closing and locking the canopy. "Okay here we go," he said softly to himself flicking the switch to turn on internal power. Immediately the protoculture energisers hummed into life. His various screens lit up and went through boot up and the main engines came to life, he quickly checked his controls for functionality before moving the throttles forward enough to get the veritech moving.

It took only a few moments to get into position at the head of runway two. Moving the throttles forward to max power he began his take off run, the veritech speeding down the runway. In seconds he reached the point of no return and lifted the nose. Moments later he was rocketing upwards towards the battle the crack of a sonic boom marking his passage.

* * *

**Bridge**

**SDF-1**

A strange weakness gripped Lisa's legs as her heart suddenly screamed in joy as she realised that the Rick sitting in that veritech was despite appearances her Rick. _He's here, oh god he's really here,_ she thought feeling her eyes start to sting as tears of joy wanted to fall. She hadn't lost her husband at all he was here with her. One of the weights on her shoulders slid off and she suddenly got the feeling that things were just about to get a bit easier for her or seem to be easier anyway now that she had a shoulder to lean on.

"Lisa are you alright," Claudia asked in concern seeing Lisa's reaction. What was going on here? If she hadn't known better she would assume that Lisa had become instantly smitten with the young man on the screen. A young man she recognised from photo's he'd shown her as Roy's adoptive younger brother Rick. As much as she wanted to tease her friend about it she found herself pushing down a sliver of unease and the feeling that the Lisa Hayes standing next to her just wasn't the same person she'd been just twenty four hours ago.

Refocusing herself on her console she began relaying orders. Yet inwardly she thought about Lisa's startling overnight transformation from duty-obsessed Ice Queen to smitten overgrown school girl. It felt wrong on all sorts of levels as people just didn't change so suddenly overnight. Then there was the fact that she…

Claudia frowned as she thought back to their banter earlier before the aliens had shown up and spoiled today's festivities. Lisa had been looking over her console with a strange look on her face. Almost like seeing the console filled her with nostalgia. Lisa had almost been like she hadn't seen the console in a very long time. Claudia bit her lip knowing that was ridiculous and yet…

"-ieutenant Grant," Captain Gloval's barked command startling her back to the here and now.

"Yes sir! Sorry sir!" she replied a look of embarrassment on her features as she turned back to her duties and putting her thoughts on Lisa's odd behaviour aside for now and focusing entirely on the battle they had to fight. There would be time to grill her friend and colleague later… assuming of course they survived.

* * *

**Skull One**

Roy Fokker resisted the impulse to swear as he dodged another series of bright blue energy pulses while trying to close enough to the slippery alien bastard who'd fired it to shoot him down. The battle raging in the airspace above Macross Island had rapidly turned into the largest and nastiest dogfight he'd ever been in which considering he'd fought in some of the worst air battles of the Global Civil War was saying something.

Without warning a very short burst of 55mm cannon fire came from below and slammed into the alien fighter between its three rear engines and the cockpit area. The burst obviously hit something vital as the alien instantly disintegrated into a fireball.

A white and orange veritech trainer model – one that seemed oddly familiar all of a sudden – shot past the fading fireball. Before Roy's eyes the other pilot suddenly banked and loosed two missiles at another pair of fighter pods sending them to their doom in instant fireballs, the speed and seemingly effortless precision of the manoeuvre stunning him momentarily speechless. _Four kills in as many shots,_ he thought incredulous, _who the hell is this guy? Whoever he is he's too damned good to be flying a trainer._

"Skull Leader to Veritech Trainer identify yourself," he said into his radio wanting to know just who this mysterious pilot was. He wracked his memory for any idea of who the mystery man could but try as he might he couldn't think of anyone in his squadron, or any of the others assigned to the SDF-1 in fact, who could fly like that well aside from himself and Jack Archer.

"Hey Roy," Rick's voice answered a second before the comm. screen came to life.

_Rick's the mystery pilot,_ he thought incredulously. His little brother, who he'd left in that trainer explaining why it had seemed so familiar he'd been looking at it just a few minutes ago, his untrained somewhat pacifistic air circus flying brother had just shot down four alien fighters in under thirty seconds? It was impossible.

Yet there Rick was on his comm. screen as sure as life.

With effort he pushed down the disbelief and answered with a somewhat uneasy grin. "Hey Rick how does it feel to be a fighter pilot?"

"Quite good actually," Rick replied even as he banked his own plane to avoid a burst of particle cannon fire before responding with a burst of 55mm bullets turning the offending Gnerl into fire and metallic confetti. Something he saw on one of his other screens made him frown. "Got to go Roy I've got quite a bit of company."

Rick signed off and Roy sighed. _I can't leave him,_ he thought directing his veritech towards his brothers' position, _unbelievably talented or not Rick's never flown in combat before. Until he joins up properly I better keep an eye on him._ His eyes widened when he saw Rick had three missiles and one of the alien fighters on his tail. "Hang on Rick I'm coming," he said increasing speed towards him praying he would get there in time to save his brother's life all the while knowing in his heart of hearts that he wouldn't be.

Then it happened.

Before his eyes Rick's veritech began to change, arms and legs coming out as it switched to guardian mode before flipping around to face the incoming missiles before with almost unbelievable accuracy shooting them out of the sky with precise bursts from the gun pod. As the last missile died Rick unleashed another burst of cannon fire swiftly sending the alien bogey the way of its missiles. _How?_ Roy thought stunned as Rick shifted his veritech back to fighter mode and shot off in search of another target.

"Little brother you're going to have some explaining to do," he growled under his breath at the shock of seeing Rick both actually use one of the veritech's other modes, and in such a complex fashion as he knew from experience using guardian mode in mid-air was not easy. Nor was shooting missiles out of the air but Rick had done it with an ease that beggared belief just like he had when he'd shot those first four alien bandits out of the sky in as many shots.

Now that he thought about it the way Rick was handling that veritech was far too polished to be the work of a gifted amateur pilot. Rick was flying and fighting like an experienced fighter pilot, an ace pilot at that, and someone fully trained in how to operate a veritech. _But Rick's not military,_ he thought, _or is he? Was he really just pulling my leg down on the ground about joining the RDF? Is he already a trained pilot and him appearing in civilian dress and acting like he's thinking of joining all some elaborate practical joke?_

A near miss by an alien fighter drew him out of his thoughts and brought his full attention back to the battle as he climbed and banked to evade another burst of coherent energy. The manoeuvre seemed to catch the alien pilot off guard and the vaguely bell-shaped craft shot past below him. Grinning at the thought of getting his own back Roy dove like a falcon on his target blowing it to bits with a single well aimed missile. Then he looked around to see where his adopted sibling had disappeared off to.

He quickly spotted him as he shot two alien fighters out of the sky with precisely aimed missiles. _Damn he's good,_ he thought unable to help feeling more than a little pride and a sense of vindication at his little brother's seemingly effortless performance in the cockpit. He'd always said Rick would make one hell of a fighter pilot now he was proving him right. Though that didn't mean he wasn't going to sit him down once all this was over and have a very, very long talk about everything but especially why Rick hadn't told him he was already a trained pilot and a member of the RDF. _And you better have some good answers for me little brother or there will be hell to pay,_ he thought before turning all attention back to the fighting.

After all they still had a battle to win.


	4. Chapter Three

**Second Chances**

**Chapter Three**

**Bridge**

**SDF-1**

**A Short Time Later**

Lisa sighed softly to herself as twenty four fresh contacts appeared on her screens, all of them landing in the ocean around the island in a very precise circle and at a distance of about twenty five miles. She knew what they were, Zentraedi Frandlar Tiluvo and Kitsune-class dropships taking advantage of the fact that they're veritechs were currently preoccupied with the Gnerl fighter pods to land and begin deploying the assault force of battle pods contained within without interference. As while Zentraedi dropships were very well armoured they were purely transports with nothing in the way of weaponry themselves, thus they were very vulnerable to fighter and missile attack.

"Captain twenty four unidentified objects are descending right off shore," she heard Vanessa Leeds report as the data showed up on her own station.

"Oh and why didn't we detect them before now?" Gloval asked.

_Because the main cannon sapped all available power,_ Lisa thought knowing the energy drain of the reflex cannon was enormous, especially when the ships reflex furnaces weren't currently active at full power as the ship was still earthbound. She listened as Vanessa reported the power interruption and then herself knowing what Gloval would order and remembering just what the result was but like everything else in this first battle with the Zentraedi she saw no way to prevent it.

At least until she checked the air battle to see that the tide had turned distinctly against the Zentraedi with more and more fighter pods getting knocked out of the sky by the veritechs, more Gnerl pods were moving away from the battle climbing retreating back towards space and from the laborious way they were doing it they were obviously damaged. _Probably taken glancing hits that damaged engines or weapons,_ she thought knowing that unlike the hoards of the Invid the Zentraedi weren't generally suicidal and would retreat in such circumstances.

Her eyes automatically sought out the unique transponder code of Rick's veritech and she was both pleased and relieved to notice that he wasn't having any difficulties. Certainly not like he'd had the first time around when his veritech stalled out and she had to instruct him in how to switch to battloid mode before he could plough nose first into the city. This time he seemed to be leading the Zentraedi – and she noticed with some wry amusement Roy Fokker – on a merry dance across the sky as he shot down Gnerl after Gnerl.

Yet Rick's performance in the cockpit was also sowing the seeds of a problem that they would both have to deal with sooner or later. Rick was flying and fighting like the veteran veritech ace that she knew him to be. A performance which was surely raising eyebrows among Roy and the other pilots. Raised eyebrows that would turn into a barrage of questions as soon as they all had their feet firmly back on Terra Firma or the deck of the SDF-1 whichever came first. After all it wasn't every day that fighter jocks encountered an apparent civilian pilot who could fly a veritech as well or better than they could, as they weren't to know that in the future Rick was one of the legendary veritech aces alongside Max and Miriya Sterling.

Then there were the looks Claudia had been shooting her when she thought she wasn't looking. Looks filled with a mixture of concern, confusion and suspicion. Claudia had clearly picked up on the fact that she wasn't the same Lisa Hayes that she had been even just twenty four hours earlier. She got it she really did as she knew she wasn't that old sourpuss – to use the younger Rick's colourful and uncomfortably true term – and that the seeming seismic change in her manner and personality from duty obsessed ice queen to someone who nearly collapsed from joy at discovering she hadn't lost her husband after all was massive and very hard for someone like Claudia to believe. And the looks said she knew she was hiding something which meant she could really expect a grilling from Claudia once this day was over and they were both off duty.

While she and Rick were both no strangers to having people throw questions at them – it sort of came with the territory when you were both admirals of the fleet – not answering those questions could sow suspicion and mistrust of them from the very people they needed to trust them if they were to save humanity and the universe from the threat of the Haydonites. The question was how to answer those questions without people thinking they had both gone completely insane after all they had no physical proof that they were indeed from the future or at least had the memories and emotions of their future selves. _Or do we,_ she thought, _the protoculture matrix is on this ship and we both know how to get at it this time around. Maybe showing it to Gloval and the other senior officers is the key, though we'll have to tell them about it first and how we know about it._

She was brought out of her thoughts by Gloval speaking behind her. "The first attack must have been a diversion to draw off our defenders," the Russian man was saying. "Allow their ground troops to land without opposition, very clever. Lisa contact Commander Fokker's team immediately have them move to intercept."

"They're just mopping up the last of the first attack wave now sir," Lisa replied inwardly smiling knowing that while it might make things very awkward for them in the short term her husband's skill as a pilot had turned the tide of the first air battle. She quickly relayed the new orders to the veritech group. "Commander Fokker has acknowledged the new orders sir and will break off as soon as he is able to do so."

"Captain the alien craft have landed about twenty five miles off shore," Vanessa added. "They appear to have submerged."

"Lisa how long till our fighters can intercept."

"Several minutes sir," Lisa replied.

"Keep me informed. In the meantime contact city authorities and order them to begin a mandatory evacuation of the civilian population to the emergency shelters," Gloval added, "have them start in the outer areas and move inwards. If the city is going to get some extra-terrestrial visitors we need the civilian population out of the way."

"Aye sir," Lisa acknowledged as she heard the bridge door open and heard a voice she hadn't heard in a very long time and truth be told could have done without hearing again as it belonged to someone she so wished she could punch. Especially from the way he and his allies in the United Earth Defence Council had treated her and the people of Macross City after they returned to Earth the first time around.

"Well captain its good we got this ship ready in time to fight off the alien fleet," Senator Gerald Russo said as he strode with his usual imperious self-importance onto the bridge. Gloval resisted the impulse to groan at the voice of the fat buffoon who unfortunately controlled the purse strings of all parts of the United Earth Defence Forces including unfortunately the Robotech Defence Force to which the SDF-1 and all her veritech squadrons belonged.

"Senator," he started to say.

"Why have you not taken off yet captain," Russo asked inclining his head slightly. "I have been informed that our ships in orbit are taking significant casualties and damage whenever they attempt to engage the alien warships. This ship is the most powerful defence asset we have at this time so why are you just sitting here on the ground?"

"Senator Russo," Gloval answered keeping his voice calm. "You must think I am out of my mind. I cannot take this ship into combat with a crew of raw recruits who've never even been in space before now."

"Are you saying you have no confidence in your crew?" Russo demanded.

"I am not saying that at all Senator," Gloval replied more than slightly annoyed at the implication from the cigar chewing politician. He was merely stating the truth and that was they weren't really ready to take the ship into space yet, the crew were after all still learning their way around the ship and how to properly operate the vessels incredibly complex systems. It was a bit much to ask them to take the SDF-1 into space before they fully knew her. _Besides we don't even know if the ship will even fly,_ he thought with annoyance as Russo spoke up again.

"Then take off captain."

"Senator with all due respect this is an alien spaceship while we have been able to reconstruct it we don't understand how half of its systems even work yet. Taking this ship into space without that knowledge would be dangerous and against my better judgement."

Russo's eyes narrowed and Gloval got the distinct impression that the good senator was getting annoyed with his defiance. "Now listen here captain we've spent a fortune on this Robotech ship and I don't want to see it destroyed on the ground or taken from us by the aliens," Russo growled. "No more excuses take off."

Gloval sighed. "Very well if that's your order but I would like it recorded that the launch is against my better judgement."

"It is my order and it will be noted," Russo answered irritated by the Russian's defiant streak and cursing the realities of international politics that had seen him made the master of this ship instead of one his own preferred candidates. But even he the chairman of the United Earth Defence Council had to bow to political reality from time to time, which was most irritating. "SDF-1 is a space battleship that's what it was built for," he added leaving the bridge to board his transport back to the safety of Alaska Base knowing his orders would now be followed while also vowing that he would eventually find some way to punish Henry Gloval for his defiance. Hopefully in a way that wouldn't get him in hot water with the Kremlin.

_We're not ready for combat, we're just not ready,_ Gloval thought with annoyance before counting down from ten in his head in his native Russian before turning to Claudia Grant. "Claudia contact engineering. Tell Doctor Lang to begin transferring power to the anti-gravity system. Inform all sections to begin final launch preparations."

"Aye sir," Claudia acknowledged and turned to relay the order first to Doctor Lang in engineering and then to all the other sections across this vast ship to begin final preparations to launch. She briefly glanced at Lisa to see another odd look on her face, a look that seemed to say that she'd been expecting and dreading the order. _Does she know something,_ she wondered before deciding it was just another thing to grill her about once all this was over. Right now she had work to do.

* * *

**Rick's Veritech**

A short burst of 55mm bullets tore out of his gun pod, sliced through the air at hypersonic velocities and struck the Gnerl fighter pod just crossing his path. The burst of hypervelocity armour piercing projectiles punched through the Gnerl's thin later armour to rip apart its main protoculture energiser module. The result was predictable as all the energy stored up in the module released at once turning the Zentraedi mecha into a short-lived mini-sun.

Rick allowed himself a small smile as he observed the destruction of his latest target. He had to admit to himself when he'd first climbed into this veritech he had been somewhat worried that he might have let his combat flying skills get more than a little rusty over the last couple of years. He had after all not flown in combat in more than a decade and in the last few years had only taken a veritech out for a spin a handful of times as one problem with being an admiral was there never seemed to be enough time in the day to get everything done that needed to get done. Let alone have time to keep his flying skills from getting too rusty.

It had therefore come as a pleasant surprise to find that his combat skills coming readily back to him as the fight continued. Though one thing he had forgotten which spoiled things somewhat was the limited missile armaments of these old VF-1Valkyrie veritechs at least in comparison to the later generations of veritech fighter. He was already out of missiles – though he'd made all of them count knocking Gnerl's out of the sky – and down to his cannon and lasers. The former was starting to run a bit low on ammo no matter how careful he was shooting it and the arc of the under nose laser turret was somewhat limited not to mention veritech lasers were notoriously short range in atmosphere as the air tended to cause the beam to rapidly become useless due to attenuation.

"You got another one you know little brother you're really showing me up here," Roy said appearing on the comm. screen with a faint smirk on his lips.

"Sorry Roy," Rick replied smirking back as he had to admit it was fun to be showing Roy up in the kill score as he'd already nailed fifteen Gnerl compared to the ten Roy had knocked down so far. Though he did have the somewhat unfair advantage of a lot more experience of fighting in a veritech than Roy did. Plus he knew all of a Gnerl's weaknesses like the fact that its armour wasn't as good as it could be, but then the Robotech Masters had designed the Gnerl to be built quickly. Long term survivability of the Zentraedi pilot had never been a concern of the Masters as they could always just clone more Zentraedi. More than one micronized Zentraedi pilot had confessed that the things were basically flying death traps and mediocre fighters at best before promptly falling in love with flying the human made veritechs.

"You're not though are you?"

"No."

Roy couldn't help but laugh. "I've still got time to catch you up Rick," he replied, "though you and I are going to be having a few words later."

Rick winced he was so not looking forward to that particular conversation. Though Roy grilling him on how he knew how to fly a veritech so well had become inevitable from the moment he'd joined the air battle. _I just hope I can come up with something believable,_ he thought, _as I can't well tell him I'm from the future now can I? He'd never believe me._ "I know," he replied scanning the air and his screens. "Huh looks like ET's had enough the last of the fighters are heading back towards space."

"Sorry Rick no respite," Roy replied with a shake of his head. "We've been ordered out to see to intercept and engage hostiles coming into land. What's your ammo situation?"

Rick grimaced. "Not good Roy," he admitted. "I'm all out of missiles and my cannon ammo is down to forty percent capacity. Only thing I have left at one hundred percent are lasers."

Roy frowned. "Okay return to the SDF-1 and get rearmed," he suggested, "I would say land and get to the shelters but you wouldn't do that would you."

"I'm no good to anyone sitting in a shelter Roy if I even knew where they are on this island," Rick answered mixing a lie with truth as he wasn't good to anyone sitting in a shelter though he of course knew where they were on the island. "I'm more help in the air."

"I would still say for you to take shelter but having seen what you can do little brother I have to give you that one," Roy admitted. "Alright go rearm then catch up with us as soon as you can. I'm sending you the flight vectors now."

One of the side screens lit up showing the flight vectors and GPS coordinates that Roy and the others would head for. "Got them Roy," he replied though he already knew they wouldn't get out there in time to stop the Zentraedi battle pods from coming ashore. In fact right now he knew the machines would be walking along the ocean floor towards the island not at all slowed down by the fact that they had a few hundred feet of the Pacific Ocean over their heads. Which meant shortly…

…a brilliant flash from behind illuminated the cockpit followed a second later by a shockwave of air that made the trainer around him shuddered. "What the?" he said confused though he had a very good suspicion what that was.

A suspicion that was proven correct as what looked like a perfectly straight lightning bolt shot past a few meters to the right. A particle beam – its edges blurred by the ionisation of atmospheric molecules as the beam powered its way through the medium – on its way down from one of the Zentraedi warships. A millisecond later it struck the surface creating another shockwave as something below exploded under the beams onslaught.

"Rick get out of there it's an orbital bombardment," Roy yelled in urgency. "Head out over the sea."

"You don't have to tell me twice big brother," Rick replied knowing from experience that getting in the middle of an orbital bombardment, even as limited a one as Breetai was currently mounting, was a very good way of ending up dead. Cutting the line with Roy he began to fly for his life as all around beams of pure destruction rained down from space as the Zentraedi assault moved into its second phase.

Within a few moments he got outside the narrow cone of the bombardment and banked around. To see dozens of energy beams coming down from space. The barrage smashing into large parts of Macross City levelling buildings, tearing up roadways and setting greenery and abandoned vehicles on fire. The devastation being inflicted by the bombardment was total.

"Oh god I forgot about Minmei," he whispered to himself as a sudden horrible feeling filling him as he belatedly remembered a teenage Lynn Minmei coming back to the White Dragon restaurant to get a diary despite the city being under an evacuation order. Minmei hadn't been on the SDF-3 with them – like almost all the other civilian members of the Pioneer Expedition she'd stayed behind on Tirol as they would have joined the fleet liberating Earth if the neutron-s missile test hadn't gone so completely pear shaped – so wouldn't have come back in time like him, Lisa and whoever else had come back following the destruction of the SDF-3. Thus she would not have known not to do something so foolish, something that could well get her killed and if she died then there job got even harder than it already was. As without Minmei there would be nothing to catch the interest of the Zentraedi and start getting them more interest in learning more about Terran culture than simply destroying them.

Then he remembered that he and Roy had saved her from being trampled by a Zentraedi Regult-class battle pod. Which meant despite the severity of the bombardment Minmei would escape that part of the attack unharmed. _When we're ordered into the city I'll have to make a point to check on her,_ he thought, _even if it does result in her crushing on me again._ Rick sighed softly in resignation before his sensors chimed. A glance at the ground scan showed the Zentraedi combat mecha were coming ashore. The force being as he would have expected composed of a mixture of Regult, Gluuhaug Regult and Serauhaug Regult-class battle pods with the odd Glaug-class officer pod thrown in. _Standard Zentraedi attack force,_ he thought observing as they formed a loose circle cresting the rim of the caldera holding the SDF-1 and Macross City. _They're here which means any moment now Breetai will stop his bombardment._

No sooner than he thought that than the particle beam assault from space ceased, almost as though Breetai had heard him. Silence descended on the area for a few moments before the entire formation of battle pods began advancing in a well ordered line towards the city and the grounded battle-fortress. In seconds they'd descended into the city with the missile armed Gluuhaug Regult and Serauhaug Regult launching their first salvos of missiles towards the SDF-1. Interceptor missiles immediately roared away from the SDF-1's pepper-box launchers in counter and he knew both the fortresses original laser based CIWS systems and the human added phalanx CIWS systems would be making themselves ready to shoot down any Zentraedi missile that got past the interceptors.

Lisa's voice burst across the comm. channels on an audio only transmission. "Attention all veritech's we are under attack from alien forces entering the city," Lisa said sounding grim. "We require support. All veritechs assume guardian configuration and engage hostile forces."

"Roger command coming in now," Roy acknowledged a moment later Rick saw his brother's veritech fly past shifting into guardian configuration as it did so. _Better get in there myself,_ Rick thought reaching for the mode selector panel with its three different controls _another thing I don't miss from these older veritechs this overcomplicated panel. I'm so glad when we came up with the first generation Alpha's we went with a single lever for all three modes, much easier than this three switch arrangement._

Even as he made a mental note to have a word with Doctor Lang to see if they could implement that solution earlier he pulled the switch for guardian mode. Immediately with a whirr of motors he felt – with the instinct of a veteran veritech pilot – more than saw the trainer shifting and changing around him assuming a new and radically different configuration. The magic of the robotechnology process nicknamed mechamorphosis working as flawlessly as it always did.

"Well here we go again," he muttered to himself before guiding the trainer version of the VF-1 Valkyrie he was flying down into the city ready to once again battle the Zentraedi. And incidentally save the life of a Chinese teenage girl with a very weird sense of priorities – again.

* * *

**Bridge**

**SDF-1**

**A Few Minutes Later**

The near miss of an alien missile rattled the conning tower built as part of the human refurbishment/reconstruction of the SDF-1 and shook the bridge like a sharp two second earthquake. Claudia Grant gripped the edge of her console as the bridge trembled before the shockwave died away before reporting the readings that had just appeared on her screens to the captain.

"Captain engineering reports anti-grav generators are powered up however Doctor Lang recommends we only engage them at sixty percent power," she said. "He's concerned about the possibility of unanticipated vibrations damaging the rebuilt housings. Lang recommends using our secondary boosters to provide the rest of the thrust needed for launch."

Gloval frowned at the report but nodded in understanding. He could see where Doctor Lang was coming from as they weren't even sure they'd actually rebuilt the anti-grav generator sections properly as there had been a lot of guess work involved. They'd also had to use purely Earth made materials like titanium in the construction of the housings of each centrifuge-like generator as they'd been unable to duplicate the advanced metallic alloy the aliens had used in the original housings. "Very well," he said at last. "Have the secondary boosters charged and made ready to fire."

"Aye sir," Claudia acknowledged turning her full attention to her own console.

At her own station Lisa frowned in confusion as she listened to Claudia's report. She was pretty sure that Doctor Lang hadn't given that advice the first time, in fact she was sure of it as she remembered the generators tearing free of their housings and the ship itself when engaged at full strength. Which had caused them initially to come crashing back to Earth, fortunately without damaging the ship as they hadn't ascended far when the generators broke free. Something had happened, had changed for Lang to give that advice. She could think of only one explanation. _Rick and I aren't the only ones back here in the past,_ she thought with a small smile appearing on her face, _Doctor Lang is here as well. Good that's going to make things a lot easier._

The rattling impact of another near miss drew her full attention back to her console. "Sir alien mecha are continuing to press their attack," she reported, "our veritechs are switching to battloid mode and engaging them but it's not enough, the aliens are continuing to advance towards them."

"Hmm Lisa redirect some of our missile targeting to the enemy mecha," Gloval ordered "that should take some of the pressure off the veritechs."

"Aye sir," Lisa acknowledged with a smile and relaying the orders to the crews operating the dorsal missile batteries – the only human added missile batteries on board that could currently engage the enemy – knowing it would help there understrength fighter squadrons. While not really meant for it – as their name implied the missiles were primarily defensive in nature - interceptor missiles made decent anti-mecha weapons. A salvo of those coming at them would definitely make the encroaching Zentraedi forces keep their giant heads down.

Moments later the first salvo of re-tasked missiles streaked away from the pepper-box launchers. To savage an dozen approaching battle pods, the shaped charge warheads turning the Zentraedi battle mecha into so much scrap metal. The remaining Zentraedi close to the ship – all standard Regult models Lisa noticed – scattered seeking cover as their prey showed that she had some very sharp teeth and claws to defend herself with.

"Captain engineering reports secondary boosters ready to fire," Claudia reported.

"Very well take us up," Gloval ordered. "But keep us just within the atmosphere. Lisa as soon as we're at a stable altitude recall all veritech's to the ship."

"Aye sir," Lisa and Claudia answered.

* * *

Deep within the cavernous bowels of the ship fifteen anti-gravity generators whirred to life and rapidly spun up to sixty percent of their full output. Their impact was immediate as the SDF-1 shivered slightly on the giant cradles that she'd been carefully hoisted up onto during the early stages of her reconstruction. Then slowly, ever so slowly, the ship began to rise the field being generated by the anti-grav generators repelling the natural gravitational attraction of terra firma.

When she reached an altitude of sixty metres off the ground dozens of small stars flared into existence along her underside as human installed thrusters activated. The effect was immediate as the ship jerked upwards then began to climb up towards space with ever greater speed, propelled by an immense amount of carefully controlled force on top of the output of the anti-grav system.

SDF-1 was airborne.

* * *

**Authors Note: I'm sure everyone has noticed by now that I've improved the defences of the SDF-1 somewhat compared to in the original 80's anime. I mostly did it because the defence capabilities of the SDF-1 as shown were somewhat on the unimpressive side and I also wanted to add some more modern thinking to the ships defences. Specifically the idea of the interceptors to counter hostile missiles which in this also act as anti-aircraft missiles and can as seen be used in an anti-mecha role if the need arises. Also the installation of more CIWS systems as while using the destroids for close in defence was a good idea it wasn't perfect and left quite a few holes in the ships defensive fire envelope. So I decided to redress this I hope nobody minds too much.**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

**Macross City**

**A Few Minutes Earlier**

Lynn Minmei felt like her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest as she raced through the familiar streets of Macross City in a desperate search for shelter. From all around her there came the concussive rumbles and booms of explosions, the crashing sounds of collapsing buildings and the harsh crackling sound of the fires that had started to burn in large parts of the city. And underlining it all was a sharp snap-hiss as beams of blue fire lanced down out of the sky.

It was all in a single word terrifying.

She now realised how big a fool she'd been to come back into the city in defiance of the evacuation order issued by the military and city authorities. They had to have known this attack was coming and ordered everyone to the shelters so they'd be safe, she'd initially gone there with her aunt, uncle and somewhat annoying little cousin. Only to realise that she'd left her diary out on her desk at home where anyone could find and read it. A possibility that to her teenage mind was absolutely intolerable as that diary contained all her personal thoughts and dreams for the future in other words stuff no teenage girl wanted anyone else in the world to know. Her only instinct then had been to come and either retrieve it or at the very least put it away.

Those thoughts had since flown out the window as no sooner than she'd gotten back into the city than the attack had started. And she'd seen enough sci-fi shows, movies and anime's over the years to guess that whoever was firing at them was doing it from orbit. Now her only concern was surviving by getting undercover until the bombardment ended then making her way back to the islands emergency centres and hope they'd let her in. She would just have to put up with the lecture Uncle Max and Aunt Lina would give her especially as she was supposed to be responsible so as to set a good example for Jason.

The shockwave of a nearby explosion knocked her off her feet with a scream of mixed surprise and fear. _Oh God I got to get out of here,_ she thought before an unfamiliar male voice called out to her. "Minmei," the voice said and she looked up.

To find herself face to face with an unfamiliar young man who looked to only be about three years older than her. He was quite handsome with light blue hair that was clearly dyed as that was the fashion these days among teenage boys and young men. Cool blue eyes watched her with concern and she felt her cheeks warm in a blush at the attention. A blush the deepened as the stranger approached and offered a hand to help her up.

"Thank you," Minmei said as she accepted the offered hand before looking around in confusion as the snap-hissing sounds of the energy beams coming down from orbit had stopped. "Is it over," she asked.

The stranger shook his head. "Yes and no," he replied, "the orbital bombardment has stopped but that only means the Zentraedi ground combat mecha have reached their assault positions. Come on we need to get out of here and get to the shelters before they arrive."

Minmei blinked and for a moment considered asking about her diary before deciding it wasn't worth it. If aliens were about to invade the city then this was the very last place she wanted to be. "Okay how do we do that," she asked.

Max smiled relieved that Minmei was actually being reasonable and adult about leaving the combat zone before they were up to the necks in Zentraedi. "That's easy I spotted a motorbike over there," he said gesturing over his shoulder towards one of the building fronts. "I can hotwire it and get the pair of us to the shelters." _Much as I wish I could go to the military base and grab a veritech,_ he thought.

"Ah isn't that illegal," Minmei pointed out.

"It's that or walk," Max replied, "I don't like the idea of stealing a motorbike any more than you do Minmei but it's the only way."

"How do you know my name," Minmei asked curious as that was the second time this stranger had called her by her name. Yet she was pretty sure she'd never met him before now as she definitely wouldn't forget meeting someone as attractive as this guy was.

"I've seen you a few times in the White Dragon," Max explained hoping that Minmei would buy it as it was true after a fashion. He had seen her plenty of times at the White Dragon as next to Ben's favourite steak house it had become or rather would become one of the major places where the veritech pilots – and many other military personnel on the SDF-1 – hung out when off duty.

"Oh," Minmei replied mentally kicking herself for not realising that was likely the case as she did see a lot of people her own age come in and out of her aunt and uncles restaurant on a daily basis as it was quite a popular eating place for both the civilian and military personnel who called Macross City home. "Can you tell me your name then?"

"It's Max, Max Sterling," Max replied resisting just the nearly burned in impulse to use his military rank a rank that he didn't have at this point in the timeline. Hell he wasn't even in the military yet as he recalled the first time around he'd not quite made up his mind what he wanted to do with his life. He'd only joined the military last time out of boredom as there really wasn't much for a teenage civilian to do in the belly of an alien battle-fortress.

"Pleased to meet you Max," Minmei replied offering a hand which Max shook with a surprisingly strong grip. _I like him,_ she thought with a smile, _I wonder if he's got a girlfriend_. Which disappeared when a sudden loud series of explosions from overhead shattered the strange calm that had fallen on the island after the bombardment ended. "What the-?" she exclaimed looking up.

Just in time to see missile contrails streak across the sky heading in the direction of the SDF-1 only to meet up with a more missiles coming the other way. The missiles met directly overhead the thunder of the detonations as attacking and defending missiles immolated one another shaking the street and drawing a shriek of fear from her lips.

She felt a hand grab her arm. "Come on we need to go," Max said knowing the Zentraedi had begun their ground assault in minutes this area would be crawling with battle pods and battloid mode veritech's fighting it out. _With the occasional volley of interceptor missiles from the SDF-1's defensive missile batteries thrown in for good measure,_ he thought.

Though still uneasy about stealing a vehicle Minmei nodded in agreement and allowed Max to lead her across the street. Sure enough sitting in the car park in front of one of the office buildings was a Harley Davidson motorcycle. She could only watch in shock as Max immediately startled fiddling with it before getting the engine started.

"Get on," Max said as he hopped on and grasped the handle bars. _Hope I can guide this thing as well as I can a Cyclone,_ he thought. A moment later he felt Minmei's arms wrap around him as she got on behind him. "Ready?" he asked her.

"Yes."

"Okay hold on tight," Max cautioned her before releasing the breaks and kicking up the little peddle the bike had been resting on back into its normal riding position and starting them moving down the debris strewn streets of Macross City.

"How long till we reach the shelters," Minmei asked having to raise her voice slightly to be heard over the deep roar of the Harley's engine.

"Not long," Max replied. _As long as we don't run into any Zentraedi battle pods then we should reach the shelters soon._

Unfortunately Lady Luck didn't seem to be on their side today as with thud of incredibly powerful hydraulics a Zentraedi Regult-class battle pod emerged from a side street. _Ugh oh,_ Max thought as the Zentraedi pilot noticed them as evidenced by one of the small autocannons under its chin swinging towards them. _Oh crap,_ Max thought before swinging the Harley into an evasive manoeuvre just as the alien pilot fired. The shot went wide pulverising a lamp post and cracking open the fire hydrant next to it. Which had the effect of a high pressure jet of water suddenly shooting up into the air.

"He missed," Minmei commented.

"That he did but he'll be after us now," Max answered watching the rear view mirrors as the Regult turned to pursue them with the odd hopping gait employed by that type of battle pod. One of its particle cannons sighted on them and he abruptly swerved to the side in another evasive manoeuvre a crackling bolt of synthetic lightning smashing into the road surface right where they would have otherwise been. _He's going to be pissed,_ Max thought as he began making random swerves to avoid the energy blasts that the Zentraedi pilot was sure to start firing at them.

Sure enough that's precisely what the Zentraedi did.

Minmei shrieked in fear behind him as the blasts of supercharged particles landed all around them, the bolts – each one powerful enough to rip right through the Chobham armour of an M1 Abrams main battle tank like it was wet paper – exploded as they hit the asphalt surface sending up sprays of noxious smelling smoke and boiling black globules. Displaying the exact same skill he usually displayed behind the controls of a veritech Max evaded all the fallout of the blasts.

"My kingdom for a Cyclone," he muttered quietly wishing he was at the controls of a veritech Cyclone and not this antique internal combustion fuelled vehicle. Even though he wasn't wearing any mark of CVR body armour, so he wouldn't have been able to fight in armour mode, he would have still blown there giant pursuer into the afterlife already if he'd been on a Cyclone. After all most models of Cyclone could use at least some of their built in weapons in cycle mode. A single well placed Scorpion micro-missile or proton beam would have easily blown the oversized tin-can trying to blow them to bits to scrap. _But I'm not on a Cyclone so I have no choice but to play cat and mouse and hope someone from the military spots me as I can't dodge this guy forever,_ he thought _certainly not on this thing._

"What's a Cyclone," Minmei asked him and Max only just resisted the impulse to groan as he realised she'd heard him.

"Nothing," Max answered mentally kicking himself for the slip before focusing all his attention on his driving and keeping one step ahead of the doggedly pursuing Zentraedi. Who fired at them again with his particle guns the blast slicing past barely a meter above their heads, so close that they could both feel the heat of the bolt and a smell the trail of ozone left in its wake. The bolt struck the road surface directly ahead forcing Max to slam on the breaks and swerve sharply to avoid falling into the resultant molten edged crater. Only years of experience and adrenaline making up for a lack of muscle memory enabling him to keep enough control to prevent them both being pitched off the bike.

The Zentraedi fired twice more.

The first bolt again slammed into the carriageway directly in front of Max, the second just to the other side of him so he had craters on three sides. With the Regult making up the forth side of a simple but lethal box. _Nowhere to go,_ he thought bringing the bike to a halt and gazing up at the battle pod which had also stopped moving forward. Instead it was now bringing its 'chin' mounted autocannons to bear on the two of them. Max could easily imagine the triumphant grin that was on the Zentraedi's face as he finally had the annoyingly evasive micronians finally in his sights.

A profound feeling of anger and injustice filled him at the knowledge that there was no escape. In seconds both he and Minmei would be dead and the Zentraedi would move on to another target. _This isn't right, I can't have been somehow transported back here, back into the younger me just to die,_ Max thought as he glared defiantly at the hidden giant. He silently cursed whoever was listening if it was to be his fate.

As if in answer to his surge of anger and injustice a burst of tracers struck the battle pod. The stream of 55mm armour piercing explosive core bullets took the Regult on its right side, punching through the armour to detonate within the magazine for the autocannons.

The result was predictable.

With a concussive roar the entire right side of the battle pod blew outwards in a flash of smoke, flame and shrapnel as the stored munitions all detonated at once. The pod swayed for a moment, smoke and flames bursting out of every port. Then gravity claimed it, bringing it crashing down onto its left side where it lay as a lifeless, burning chunk of alien metal.

Max looked in the direction the burst of weapons fire that had just saved them had to have come from. To find a white and orange trainer model Valkyrie in guardian mode standing there the muzzle of the GU-11 tri-barrel gun pod it was holding in its right hand still smoking from the burst. As soon as he saw who the pilot was and realised what it meant he started to laugh. Which drew a look from Minmei as his passenger couldn't help but wonder if her first rescuer had just gone suddenly nuts.

"Nice timing skipper," Max said as the cockpit opened and they found themselves face to face with Rick Hunter.

* * *

**Rick's Veritech**

**A Few Moments Earlier**

_Where is she,_ Rick thought as he carefully searched the streets around the White Dragon – which looked much better this time around as this time he hadn't crashed into it a battloid he had no idea how to use – for any sign of Minmei. So far there had been no sign of her and he couldn't help but start to get concerned for her welfare as running through a city being first pummelled by particle beams from space then invaded by giant alien battle machines was not conducive to a long, healthy life. And they needed Minmei alive as without her culturally subverting the Zentraedi in Breetai's fleet would become a lot harder.

Rick grimaced at the thought that something might well have happened to Minmei. If something had, if she was dead then they would just have to think of something. There were bound to be other people in the city who could sing and entertain, not to mention the SDF-1 did have a library of entertainment programs, shows and music. While that wasn't ideal if it came down to it the library files would just have to do.

Movement on his radar display caught his attention and looking in the direction the radar was indicating he saw a Regult battle pod pursuing something. He couldn't see what it was from this angle but from the way the Zentraedi was firing, which indicated anger and frustration, whatever the giant humanoid was shooting at was giving the pod the run around. _Could that be Minmei,_ he thought knowing for a full size Zentraedi hitting something as small as a Human was far from easy. _Whatever he's shooting at I better go over there and help,_ he thought bringing the guardian mode Valkyrie around and moving in that direction.

Soon enough he found what the Zentraedi was shooting at. A Harley Davidson motorbike with two people on it, one of whom appeared to be male and have blue hair the other being Lynn Minmei. His eyes widened as he realised who the male driver was as he was handling the Harley like it was a Cyclone. _Max is here as well,_ he thought with a grin and a laugh of pleasure at the thought that his old wingman, brother in arms and long term friend was here in the past as well.

"Though what is he doing with Minmei," he asked himself before shrugging guessing Max had remembered what he'd said about what Minmei had done the first time around and decided to do something about it. Which would be just like Max but if Max was here then where was Ben as the first time around he recalled Max and Ben having to be saved from death by Colonel Wolfe. _I'll have to ask him but first better pull his tail out the fire as there is no way a Harley can dodge a battle pods fire forever. Even with Max at the controls,_ he thought.

He couldn't help but wince as he was proved right. The Zentraedi apparently tiring of the impromptu game of 'whack a bike' decided instead to shoot out the carriageway ahead and to the sides of the Harley forcing Max to stop. _Hang on Max I'm coming,_ he thought pouring on as much speed as he could while bringing up the gun pod as the Regult came to a stop itself and started aiming its autocannons at the stationary Harley.

_Oh no you don't you're not whacking my wingman,_ Rick thought targeting the battle pod aiming for the autocannon magazine and opening up. His memory proved to be accurate as the 55mm slugs ripped into the battle pod and detonated within the magazine. The resultant explosion killing the Zentraedi pilot instantly and ripping the entire one side of the Regult apart. Mere seconds later the remains of the pod fell over and burned quietly on the ground.

Rick sprung open the veritech's canopy and stood up just in time to hear Max start to laugh as he realised who he was. "Nice timing skipper," he heard Max say further confirming that the Max sitting on the back of the motorbike was indeed the Max he'd known and served alongside for more than three decades.

"You're welcome Max," Rick replied, "I see you got a passenger."

"You could say that boss," Max answered smiling back and feeling more than a little relief at finally meeting someone he could talk to about the situation he'd found himself in and not sound completely nuts. It was pretty obvious by now that the Rick he was looking at was also from the future and like him had been merged into his younger self's body.

Rick smirked and sat back down. "Well don't just sit there like a lemon get in," he said, "you too Minmei."

"Ugh boss that might be a trainer but there's no room for both of us and you," Max replied before groaning slightly at the mischief filled look he got back. _Oh God please don't let him say what I think he's going to say,_ he thought.

"Course there is. Minmei will just have to sit on your lap it's the only way we'll get her out of here alive."

_He did have to make sense when he said it didn't he,_ Max thought with a mental groan. While Minmei still sitting behind him on the bike emitted a small sound and looked down blushing furiously. "He's right Minmei," he said to the somewhat uncomfortable teenager. "It is our only chance of getting out of this situation."

"Will we be going to the shelters," Minmei asked looking up at their rescuer and blinking when she saw how handsome he was. _Do all the guys I meet today have to be drop dead gorgeous,_ she thought though she wouldn't complain if they were.

"I'm afraid not they're locked down," Rick replied recalling the emergency procedures for the civilian shelters. Until the all clear was sounded by civil and military authorities the islands emergency shelters would remain in full lockdown. "The SDF-1 has just launched and all veritechs are being ordered to rendezvous with her. You'll have to come aboard with us for a while don't worry though you'll be returned to the island as soon as it's safe to do so."

"But what about my aunt and uncle they'll be worried about me," Minmei objected.

"We'll get word to them that you're safe," Rick replied.

Minmei bit her lip for a moment. "Alright," she conceded reluctantly.

"Okay let's do this then boss," Max added deploying the bike's leg so it would continue to stand up before carefully getting off then helping Minmei get off as well.

"Thank you," Minmei said softly blushing before looking back at the one Max had referred to as boss which made her wonder if they were both in the military. Though they weren't in uniform it was a possibility as they could have simply been on leave today and hadn't had time to get back in uniform before the attack began. "So now what?"

"Now you just hold on," Rick replied before manipulating the controls and using the veritech's free hand to carefully pick up Max and Minmei. The latter emitting a nervous squeak as she felt the massive metal fingers wrap around her.

"Relax its safe," Max said reassuringly as Rick moved the two of them so they were parallel to the cockpit with only a very small gap between them and the rear seat. The fingers of the Valkyries hand released and without hesitation he leapt across the distance landing perfectly in the rear seat. _This is more like it,_ he thought happy to be in the somewhat familiar surroundings of a veritech cockpit.

A moment later Minmei reluctantly leapt across the distance herself before nervously sitting down on his lap. "Comfortable back there," Rick asked as he moved the arm back to its normal orientation.

"We'll manage boss," Max replied doing his best to ignore the weight of Minmei on his thighs. _Damn she's got a bony ass,_ he thought shifting to try and get a little more comfortable.

"I'm okay," Minmei added trying to ignore the somewhat uncomfortable seating arrangement.

"Alright here we go," Rick replied closing and sealing the cockpit before firing the thrusters on the underside of the Valkyrie's feet rising them into the air. Once they were high enough he engaged the thrusters on the back to increase their airspeed and reaching for the F-control on the transformation panel. As soon as there airspeed past a critical point he flicked the switch.

"What's happening," Minmei asked fearfully as heard and felt the vehicle around them changing into something else.

"Nothing to worry about," Max replied as the mechamorphosis finished. A smile flashed across his face as Minmei looked out the window and emitted a gasp of amazement.

"This is a fighter plane," she exclaimed, "but…earlier it was…"

"Amazing isn't it," Rick replied smirking recalling fondly his own first experience of mechamorphosis how he'd been so astonished the first time around when this very veritech turned into a giant robot.

Minmei nodded. "How did it do that," she asked honestly curious.

"Classified sorry," Rick and Max said almost at the same time.

"Oh," Minmei replied with a disappointed pout before gazing out the canopy as they ascended higher and higher into the sky on course to rendezvous with then land aboard the waiting SDF-1.

* * *

**United Earth Defence Command**

**Alaska Base, A Few Minutes Later**

Admiral Donald Hayes winced slightly as the radar signature of another of their spaceships broke up into a dozen smaller pieces before fading away indicating that the ship had been destroyed. The battle in space between their forces and the alien intruders was not going anywhere near as well as anyone would have liked or hoped.

The reason being the aliens were simply too strong.

When they'd examined the crashed SDF-1 they had realised early on that she was a warship. One who's potential for destruction far exceeded anything mankind had built in their long and troubled history. Tests of the particle weapons installed on the Armour cruisers, weapons which were straight copies of secondary beam arrays of the SDF-1, had only confirmed that. But even that knowledge had proven insufficient preparation for the intruder's incredible numbers and the obscene amount of firepower they seemed to be able to throw out as a result.

Firepower that was steadily tearing their infant space fleet apart, at least the part of it that was in orbit. Already three Armour cruisers and six Oberth destroyers had been burned from the sky killing hundreds of crew members. Casualties among the Lancer space fighters were even worse as the pilots lack of real space combat experience showed, far too many were fighting like they were still in atmosphere and thus were sustained disproportionately heavy casualties.

_We will have to do something about that assuming we survive this,_ Donald thought studying the tactical screens that dominated the top of the multi-level operations centre. All the while silently cursing again the politicking by Russo and his friends that had so delayed the construction of the orbital defence grid. Had even a faction of the planned grid been in place and operational they would have been able to take a lot of the pressure off the fleet assets as he doubted even the aliens would have liked high powered lasers slamming into their ships. But sadly there was none of that.

"Admiral we've just received a report from moon base Aluce," one of the communications ratings reported. "The third Oberth squadron and Armour Nine have rendezvoused on the dark side of the moon and are prepared to move out. However Admiral Chase doesn't believe they will be able to break the flank of the alien fleet without additional support it's just too well protected."

Donald made a thoughtful noise as he considered how to answer. He didn't doubt the words of Admiral Christopher Chase knowing the officer was a very competent man. Indeed they'd worked together a few times in their former careers as US Navy and Royal Navy officers respectively so he knew he well spoke the truth. Without some additional firepower to throw at the aliens the five ships waiting on the dark side of the moon had no chance of breaking the flank of the fleet. Even the reflex missiles carried on Armour Nine wouldn't be enough.

_So how can I give them more firepower,_ he thought puzzling it over. Before deciding there was only one option, one thing he could do before the whole fleet in orbit got destroyed. It had already shown once that it easily possessed the capability to destroy the warships being used by the aliens. He didn't like it as it would mean sending his beloved daughter into harm's way but he didn't see any other option.

"Communications put me through to the SDF-1," he ordered. "I need to speak with Captain Gloval immediately."

"Aye sir."

* * *

**Authors Note: Sorry about the delay with this chapter people but the Minmei part of the chapter was a right pain to write. I hope people don't mind the changes I've made to the battle in orbit between Earth and the Zentraedi as I wanted to create more of a sense of urgency for what follows in the next chapter. I was originally going to try and include the space fold in this chapter but the scene wasn't working so I decided to leave the chapter where it was and do the fold next time.**


	6. Chapter Five

**Second Chances**

**Chapter Five**

**Bridge**

**SDF-1**

Captain Henry Gloval listened with mounting concern to his command phone as Admiral Hayes outlined the degenerating situation in orbit. The alien forces were steadily tearing their fleet apart, their weapons proving to be just as – if not more – fearsome as they'd believed. Between the immense firepower of the alien warships and there unheard of numbers the fleet they'd been laboriously constructing for the last few years was being simply overwhelmed.

Though that didn't mean the aliens were getting everything their own way.

Despite being both massively outnumbered and even more massively outgunned the fleet was continuing to fight back. And they were inflicting casualties upon the enemy with three smaller enemy capitals having been destroyed and one of the larger ships rendered dead in space. Losses among the enemy fighters were more even as the aliens had quickly and painfully learned how murderously effective the interceptor missile and CIWS systems on their ships were.

However it was pretty obvious to him – and from the tone of his voice – Donald Hayes as well how the war in orbit was going to end. Unless drastic action was taken humanities fledgling space navy would be annihilated. Action that the RDF was going to attempt to do with a flanking attack using the small group of ships that had been patrolling the dark side of the moon, aiming to break the enemies one flank and hit the massive four kilometre long beast near the head of the fleet, which from the hyper-comm. transmissions it was constantly emitting seemed to be their command ship, with reflex missiles. The idea being that the destruction of their flagship would shatter the enemy fleet's cohesion and force them to withdraw from battle.

_A bold plan but it's not going to work as of the Lunar force only Armour Nine has reflex missiles,_ Gloval thought, _four Oberth destroyers and one Armour attack carrier aren't going to be enough to break through the flank protecting the command ship._ "Sir with all due respect that sounds like suicide," he replied to the distant admiral. "The lunar forces would need much more firepower than what they have to accomplish such a mission."

"I agree captain that's why you'll be joining them," Hayes answered sounding as though he didn't like giving the order he was having to give but knew he had no choice. _He probably doesn't given his daughters aboard my ship,_ he thought. "Your space fold drives are operational are they not?"

"They are," Gloval confirmed recalling the systems status report he'd been reading this morning before Russo had grabbed him to make that big entrance in the back of the senator's limo. "But I would remind you admiral that we still do not know a great deal about the technology. There could be a problem with them that we don't know about yet."

"I agree it is a risk but unfortunately its one we have to take," Hayes replied. "Captain Gloval I'm formally ordering you to space fold to the dark side of the moon and link up with Admiral Chase's squadron. From there you'll proceed to attack the enemy forces screening the command ship using every weapon you have available to you."

"Understood sir we'll get it done."

"I know you will. Good luck and Henry. Be careful bring my little girl back to me after all this is over."

"I will Donald don't worry," Gloval replied before putting the phone down and sighing. Then he turned to his command crew. "Lieutenant Grant contact Doctor Lang in engineering and have him power up the space fold drive, we're going to be making a jump. Fix coordinates for the dark side of the moon."

"Sir are you sure that's wise," Lisa asked turning in place and just beating a shocked Claudia to the punch. "I've been reading some of Doctor Lang's research on the hyperspace fold system and from what I've been able to gather attempting to fold space inside a strong gravitational field – like Earth's gravity well – might not be wise."

_An understatement if ever there was one,_ she thought knowing that attempting a hyperspace fold inside a strong gravitational field like a planet was considered to be the height of stupidity by every spacefaring species in the known universe. For very good reasons as well as not only did the gravitational field randomise the folding ships hyperspace vector making it impossible to determine where you were going to fold back into normal space but the spatial distortion created by a fold sphere could do some very nasty things to the surface of something like a planet. Cabel had told her and Rick once about an experiment the Tirolians had done with hyperspace folding when they'd first developed FTL travel long before the discovery of protoculture and the rise of the Robotech Masters.

As she recalled the Tirolians – then still extremely inexperienced and ignorant of the exact physics behind hyperspace folding – had attempted to jump a small test ship from inside the atmosphere of one of Fantoma's other moons. The result had been catastrophic as not only had the test ship been destroyed – ripped into a million fragments and scattered throughout the universe – but a large chunk of the moon had been pulled into hyperspace as well. Which had created a crater in the moon the size of the Eurasian continent and triggered massive tectonic instabilities that had forced the Tirolians to abandon the few settlements they'd had on that particular moon. Which well explained why the Zentraedi had been so utterly incredulous when they'd done it the first time around as they knew how dangerous it was – so dangerous that even Zentraedi of questionable mental states like Khyron would think at least twice before attempting such an incredibly dangerous manoeuvre.

"I understand your concern Lisa but we have our orders and it is the only chance our forces in orbit have," Gloval replied with an understanding look of his face. Like Lisa he'd read some of Doctor Lang's papers on the hyperspace fold system. And while the exact science of it went so far over his head that it wasn't even funny he was intelligent enough to have worked out the gist of it. "I know it's a risk but unfortunately its one we're going to have to take."

Lisa bit her lip and considered protesting further against executing the space fold, even if she had to reveal that she was from the future – or at least had the memories, emotions and knowledge of her future self – to prevent it happening but something stopped her. A feeling inside that said despite knowing how dangerous in atmosphere folds were, and knowing what this fold was very likely to do, she had to let it happen. That the space fold was one of those fixed events in time that the angel version of Claudia had told her about, events that could not be prevented.

"Yes sir," she said before reluctantly turning back to her console, but not before exchanging a look with Claudia which confirmed that her friend was even less enamoured with the orders than she was but had realised that there was nothing they could do about it. _I just hope it goes better than last time,_ Lisa thought as she scanned her console noting that the last of the veritech's were coming back aboard amongst them the Valkyrie trainer Rick was flying. _Soon my love,_ she thought looking at the approaching veritech, _soon we'll be together again. It's just a pity that my duties up here on the bridge mean I can't be in the docking bay to greet you myself._

With a mental sigh of resignation she put the thoughts of Rick out of her mind for now and focused on her tasks preparing the ship for the inevitable space fold. She could only hope that with their Doctor Lang being here would be able to do something to limit the folds effects using his superior knowledge of hyperspace physics, robotechnology and Tirolian technology in general. It was a vague hope to be sure. But it was the only hope she had.

A bleep from her console drew her out of her thoughts and worries about the planned fold operation. As she read the report a faint flicker of hope blossomed in her chest. If she couldn't prevent the hyperspace fold without totally destroying all hope for humanity then maybe she could at least save people who perished the first time around.

"Message from the _Prometheus_ sir," she reported to Gloval. "They're surveillance drones report that the alien mecha are falling back into the sea. Captain du Caine believes they're returning to their landing ships now that we've left the island. Sir I request permission to order the _Prometheus_ and _Daedalus_ to secure to diving stations and attempt to engage the craft under water with torpedoes."

"Hmm," Gloval mused considering the matter for a few moments. The alien attack on Macross City – both the orbital bombardment and the following land invasion – had caused a truly horrendous amount of damage to the island metropolis. The fact that they were now withdrawing before retribution could be probably dealt to them was more than a little unacceptable and short of ordering the veritechs back out to attack them the two massive carriers attacking the landing ships with torpedoes was there only option. The Prometheus-class supercarrier and Daedalus-class landing ship were after all designed to be submersible – the idea being making them submersible reduced the need for large formations of escorting cruisers, destroyers and frigates – and thus did have torpedo tubes mounted just under their flight decks for use in underwater combat.

"Give the order," he ordered. He knew it would take nearly ten minutes for the carriers to switch over from launch ops to submarine operations and in that time the aliens might well escape but they at least had to try.

"Yes sir," Lisa acknowledged inwardly cheering. The Zentraedi would escape before the carriers could submerge and get close enough to pepper the landing craft with torpedoes but that didn't matter. By ordering the crews to secure the ships to diving stations she ensured that everyone would be below decks when they got inevitably caught inside the radius of the SDF-1's fold sphere. Thus saving the lives of valuable men and women meaning they wouldn't be quite as short-handed as they'd been the first time around.

It was a minor victory to be sure. But one that brought her a sense that she could at least make life easier for those who were soon going to find themselves exiled to the far reaches of the solar system.

It was nice feeling.

* * *

**Rick's Veritech**

**That Same Time**

Rick listened carefully to one of the Landing Signals Officers – or LSO's – aboard the SDF-1 gave him directions to land in hanger bay one three nine on the ships port hanger deck. Even as he precisely followed the landing officer's instructions he found himself fighting down a surge of disappointment that it wasn't Lisa giving him the orders this time. Intellectually he knew she wasn't the only one of the ship who could give landing orders – that's what the LSO's were for after all – but it would have just been nice if she'd been giving the orders this time.

Within moments the veritech trainer arrived in its designated landing bay. Rick immediately powered down the engines even as a hatch closed sealing the individual bay off from the vacuum and allowing pressurisation to begin. _So strange to be back on this ship,_ he thought as he watched the atmosphere indicator light as it began to change from red to amber as automatic systems established a breathable, comfortable atmosphere outside the ship.

"Everyone okay back there," he called back to Max and Minmei.

"We're fine, Rick," Max replied before Minmei wriggled on his lap again. "Minmei will you please stop wriggling?"

"I'm sorry," Minmei answered looking down and blushing. "This just isn't the most comfortable of sitting positions."

"Don't worry it's not for much longer," Rick replied as the indicator light finally turned green as the pressurisation cycle completed. He immediately pulled the lever to open and retract the canopy before hopping out then turning to help Minmei get out.

"Thank you," Minmei said as her feet met the metal deck. She couldn't help but shiver slightly as the landing bay was actually quite cold, especially when compared to the tropical heat of Macross Island. Behind her Max climbed out of the veritech himself, landing on the deck with the easy grace of someone who had done such manoeuvres countless times in the past.

_Or should that be in the future,_ Max thought with a slight grimace. Despite everything that had happened in the last hour or so he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was somehow back here in the past inside his own younger self's body. He still had no idea what it was he was supposed to be doing here, what his mission – if he had any mission – was. While it was obvious that Rick had been sent back as well they were hardly in a position where he could ask him if he had any idea why they were here. Not with Minmei present, they'd both accidentally probably revealed more than they should to her as it was.

The whirr of heavy hydraulics brought him out of his thoughts and he looked in the direction the sound was coming from in time to see the heavy bulkhead door separating the individual landing bay from the main hanger areas was opening. _Good we'll soon get out into the rest of the ship,_ Max thought, _maybe then I'll have a chance to corner Rick and ask him a few questions about what the hell is going on here._ A figure ducked through the opening door and Max's eyes widened as he recognised a man he hadn't seen in decades in anything other than a few pictures Rick had been able to salvage from the ruins of his home during the evacuation of New Macross City.

Commander Roy Fokker.

"Rick," Roy exclaimed loudly as he marched up to his adoptive younger sibling. Noting idly that there were two new people with him one an average height bespectacled man with blue hair of all things the other that lovely Chinese kid from the White Dragon. Minmei he believed her name was. _What are they doing here,_ he thought before guessing that Rick had saved them both from the alien invaders. With the shelters in emergency lockdown there would be nowhere safe for them to go but here and no way to get here except in the backseat of Rick's fighter.

"Hey Roy," Rick replied turning to look at the taller man, inwardly wincing as he saw the look in Roy's eyes. A look of mixed concern, confusion and suspicion. _Ugh oh think I'm about to get interrogated,_ he thought.

"Don't you hey Roy me. You've got quite a bit of explaining to do little brother," Roy replied making Rick visibly wince and cringe clearly not looking forward to being subjected to a big brother interrogation. "I recognise young Miss Minmei from the White Dragon as Claudia and I have lunched there a few times recently but who's your other friend?"

"My name's Max Commander Fokker," Max answered before Rick could. "Max Sterling. Rick here just saved the two of us from becoming worm food."

Roy raised an eyebrow at the name then smiled. "Max Sterling huh? Lieutenant Wolfe just got back with someone whose been asking about you," he said smile turning into a smirk. "Been making a right nuisance of himself from what I've heard."

Max frowned for a moment at a loss as to who that could be. Then he remembered, remembered the person who'd been his brother in everything but blood. And who he had originally spent this day with the first time around. "His name wouldn't happen to be Ben would it," he asked fighting down a grin and feeling more than a small amount of excitement that he might soon be reunited with Ben Dixon. He had really missed his friend these last thirty odd years just as Rick had missed Roy, indeed their shared pain had been one of the things that they'd long ago bonded over. And speaking of Rick a glance over at Rick showed he was also fighting not to grin at the thought of being reunited with Ben.

"That's the one," Roy confirmed. "He's back there if you want to see him," he gestured over his shoulder with one hand, "actually would you before one of the others does something drastic to shut him up?"

Max couldn't help but laugh at that comment. _That sounds like Ben,_ he thought recalling the steak-fuelled future veritech pilot was something of a motor mouth. "Don't worry commander I'll deal with him," he said grinning before heading in the direction that Roy had indicated, but not before shooting Rick a glance that communicated clearly that they needed to talk later.

A slight nod in response told him that Rick knew that as well, then he noticed Rick abruptly tense a look of pain flashing across his features. _He's cramping up,_ he thought with a mental wince knowing how painful that was though it was understandable that Rick would cramp up after flying a veritech in combat. After all in body they were still civilians. So while mentally they both knew more about flying and fighting in veritechs than anyone else on board there younger bodies really weren't at the right level of physical conditioning to exploit that knowledge and experience. _Which means we'll have to go through boot camp all over again, oh what fun,_ he thought with a mental sigh before putting those thoughts out of his mind as he prepared himself as much as he could to reunite with his old friend.

Roy watched Max in confusion. He hadn't missed how Max had looked at Rick, communicating something silently, and how Rick had apparently responded. While he knew Rick had never been on Macross Island before today it was clear that there was something between Rick and Max. Some history that he wasn't privy to. _What the hell is going on with Rick? First he inexplicably knows how to fly and fight in a veritech and do it with an almost unbelievable skill but then he knows someone from here on the island well enough to communicate without words,_ he thought before looking back at his sibling.

Confusion and suspicion that Rick had gotten into something big and hadn't told him, or been forbidden to tell him, vanished when he saw Rick leaning back against the side of the trainer. He'd gone pale and appeared to be in pain. "Rick are you alright little brother," he asked concern replacing his earlier confusion.

"Cramp," Rick replied through gritted teeth doing his best not to scream at the severe stabbing pains from muscles and tendons that had been massively overstressed by having flown in combat without being physically in the right shape for it. _Ouch,_ Roy thought wincing even as part of him frowned knowing if Rick was already a trained fighter pilot he should be physically conditioned well enough that getting sudden severe cramps from muscle overstress shouldn't happen or at very least shouldn't be as severe as it appeared to be.

"I'll get a jeep," Roy said worriedly approaching and putting a hand on Rick's arm. "Take you to the infirmary maybe they can give you something to ease the pain."

"Is he alright," Minmei asked looking at her second rescuer in concern.

"He'll be fine," Roy assured her with a smile, "it's just severe muscle cramp it will ease."

Turning back to Rick he noticed that the cramps seemed to be easing a bit but that he was now shaking with both the lingering pain and reaction. "Come on Rick," he said. "I think you need to lay down for a bit."

"I think your right Roy," Rick admitted pushing away from the side of the trainer with effort as it felt like all the strength had left his limps leaving him exhausted and in agony as his muscles continued to protest at the abuse he'd put them through. Immediately he swayed on legs that abruptly felt like they'd turned to jelly and would have fallen if Roy hadn't quickly caught him. _Damn I hate this,_ he thought, _I really need to get back into fighting shape a.s.a.p._

"Whoa easy there little brother," Roy cautioned as he put one of Rick's arms over his shoulder. "Here put your weight on me," he smiled reassuringly as he felt Rick do so, "that's it."

"Can I help at all," Minmei asked knowing it was the least she could do for someone who'd saved her life in the way Rick had.

"Sure," Roy replied, "go around his other side and support him there."

Minmei nodded and did so feeling a faint flutter in her chest as she put Rick's arm across her shoulder and noticed that while slim it felt firm. Reluctantly Rick allowed it and shifted some of his weight – but not too much – onto Minmei leaving Roy to shoulder the worst of the load. He just hoped this didn't come back to bite him as he well remembered how Minmei had crushed on him the first time around going so far as to call her first album My Boyfriends a Pilot though they'd never seriously dated as boyfriend and girlfriend should. _Though I was as guilty as she was of having a crush on her,_ he thought recalling how he'd ignored his growing feelings for Lisa Hayes for so long due to that stupid infatuation with Minmei. An infatuation that definitely wasn't going to happen this time as while they legally weren't married anymore his mind and more importantly his heart told him that Lisa was still his wife and the true love of his life.

"Ready Rick," Roy asked. Rick nodded hating the weakness in his limps and the pain from the muscle spasms and cramps that made it impossible for him to move under his own power without landing face first on a hard Robotech alloy deck. Before Roy could start them moving however the overhead PA system came to life.

"Attention all personnel stand by for hyperspace fold manoeuvre. Hyperspace fold will take place in one minute," Claudia Grant's voice echoed off the walls. "Repeat all personnel stand by for hyperspace fold manoeuvre. Hyperspace fold will take place in fifty eight seconds."

"Oh no," Rick breathed in horror knowing they were still inside the atmosphere with Macross Island only a few thousand feet beneath the ships keel. If they attempted to space fold here then they'd end up out at Pluto at the very least if not even further out as their hyperspace vector would be completely thrown off by the planets gravity well. He started to open his mouth to warn Roy that they couldn't space fold inside the gravity well but something made him pause. Something that said he needed to stay quiet that this first fateful hyperspace fold had to happen. _Lisa's probably feeling the same otherwise she would have warned Gloval of what would happen,_ he thought.

"Rick what is it," Roy asked hearing the shock and horror in his adoptive brother's voice. A reaction that clearly had something to do with Claudia's announcement that they were going to be executing a hyperspace fold jump. The fact that they were going to do it caught him by surprise as from what Claudia's engineer younger brother Vince had told him they hadn't been planning to risk an attempt at a hyperspace fold for another few weeks at the very least. Obviously the tactical situation in orbit had pushed up the time table somewhat – an invasion of giant aliens would kind of have the effect of chuck all previous testing plans out the metaphorical window – but why would Rick be alarmed by that. Unless…

…he somehow knew something was wrong with the hyperspace fold system.

A few hours ago the very idea that Rick knew something was wrong with one of the SDF-1's systems would have made Roy scoff in derision. But now after seeing Rick fly a veritech like a veteran ace – without being military – and the odd difference in his manner and body posture before the attack began he found himself seriously considering it. It would be just another of the really bizarre things going on with Rick that demanded answers. Answers he was going to get one way or another.

"Rick is something wrong with the fold system," Roy asked bluntly. "Rick? Come on buddy tell me what's wrong if there is something wrong with the drive maybe I can stop it."

"Hyperspace fold in twenty seconds," Claudia's voice added.

"Rick come on what is it," Roy asked. Rick bit his lip and considered answering knowing he already owed Roy a few answers about what had already happened today and how he'd been able to fly a veritech so well. And in combat no less. "Rick."

"I guess it doesn't matter now," Rick said softly.

"What doesn't matter," Roy asked.

"Hyperspace fold in ten seconds… nine… eight… seven..."

Roy paid no attention to Claudia's countdown keeping his eyes focused on his sibling. He could tell Rick was torn between wanting to say something and keeping quiet. It was like he was afraid of the consequences of either saying whatever was bothering him or keeping quiet about it.

"Brace yourselves," Rick said at last speaking loudly and with an authority that Roy had never heard in his voice before. "This is going to be bumpy."

"Three… two… one," Claudia concluded her countdown as the last syllable left Rick's lips. "Initiating hyperspace fold."

For a moment more nothing happened then a strange humming sound filled the air. A sound that made the hairs on the back of all three of their necks stand on end as though they were suddenly in a thunderstorm. Abruptly the deck lurched throwing them off their feet to land in a tangle of arms and legs. Alarms suddenly filled the air with a cacophony of emergency clamour as the ship bucked and shook like she was a living being that was being tortured.

"What's happening," Minmei screamed in fear over the horrendous noise.

"I don't know is this normal for a hyperspace fold," Roy asked raising his own voice above the noise as his vision began to be filled with an odd light that seemed to suffice the air and deck everything around them.

"No just hold on," Rick yelled back over the tumult. "It won't last forever."

"How do you know Rick," Roy yelled back.

"Not now Roy I'll explain everything later I promise. For now just hold on."

"I'm going to hold you to that little brother," Roy answered a second before the ship gave its most violent convulsion yet picking them all up and slamming them against the bulkhead – and blessed unconsciousness.

* * *

From the outside the scene was equally dramatic. An aura of exotic energy crackling with strange rippling arcs of unstable hyperspatial energies flickered into existence around the hull of the SDF-1 before beginning to expand outwards. In seconds it crossed the two thousand feet difference between the lower hull of the SDF-1 and Macross Island.

Instantly the small volcanic island that had changed the world in so many ways ten years earlier and the two submerging supercarriers were enveloped in a glowing bubble of flickering energy. For another moment the field continued to expand enveloping a sizeable chunk of the ocean around and beneath the island. Then its expansion stopped.

For a moment out of time the bubble remained static ocean waves crashing impotently against its boundaries unable to penetrate through to continue their relentless erosion of the captive island. Then with breath-taking suddenness and a discharge of unfathomable energies the bubble and everything within vanished leaving a gaping void in the surface of the mighty Pacific Ocean.

Immediately the sea rushed in from all sides to fill the crater left in its surface by the disappearance of the island. Simultaneously boiling hot magma contained for over a thousand years by a thick plug of rock in the throat of the ancient volcano that had built the island in the first place exploded upwards as if eager for freedom.

Diametrically opposite elements met in a massive blast of steam and ash in the phenomenon known to volcanologists as a phreatomagmatic eruption. The explosive shockwave of the mix momentarily pushed the waves back in a blaze of pyrotechnics before fading allowing the ocean to once again rush in, where the waves met there was a tremendous splash. Seconds' later calm returned but anyone watching from space would see the effects of the disappearance and clash of elements.

Like giant ripples in a pond a series of truly monstrous tsunamis radiated outward from the former location of Macross Island. Tsunamis that within hours would devastate cities and coastlines all around the Pacific Rim with a day they would circumnavigate the world.


End file.
